Broken
by TeaBrew
Summary: *Complete!* Irvine/Van. Zeek is nearly killed in battle and Van realises just how careless his actions have been and how much pain there is surrounding the event.
1. Disillusion

Yay! My first Zoids ficcy, praise me! ^_^ Yeah, this idea came about as I was browsing through the Zoids section and noticed how little (or COMPLETE LACK THEREOF!!) Irvine and Van are paired up. So, my little shounen-ai mind went into overtime and out popped this lil' wonder of abnormal science! o_O;; Anyhoo, I like the Van + Irvine pairing so Fiona and Moonbei can go find some other guys to latch onto XP. Bah legal stuff: 

Disclaimer: Dammit, no Zoids ownership for me. I own sweet diddly-squat of the company/anime (why can't Van be reeeeeeeal…? Then he would be mi~ine!) 

Warnings: It _will_ turn out to be a Van/Irvine fic, but in this chapter there is only warnings for swearing (yeah, my charas have edge… -_-;; Whatever…) 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part one 

Disillusion 

  
  
Van screamed loudly behind clenched teeth as the Liger took another five missiles, throwing it back even farther. He cried out in fury as he shoved the thrusters to full power to stop himself from plummeting over the cliff edge. 

"Dammit! Where did all of these Zaber Fangs come from!?" He cried and charged past a group of five, blowing up half of them as he went. "Thomas, where's my backup!? Thomas??" 

Van reeled around just in time to dodge another barrage of missiles. He cried out in shock to see the D-Bison sprawled out on the ground a few hundred metres away. 

"Thomas!!" Van screamed. "Hold on, I'm coming!" 

"No, you moron! Worry about the Fangs first!" Came Thomas' static-filled reply. "There are more of them than there are me! What happens if you go down!?" 

Van growled in frustration and slammed a fist onto his controls. "Fine! You and Beek just stay down, alright?" 

"Yeah, sure. What are you up to?" 

"If those Fangs see that you're down, they won't attack you. Just keep safe and don't move, you got it?" He quickly scanned his screen. "Alright Zeek and Liger, let's finish off what we started!" 

Both Zoids growled in approval as Van grinned, blasting the Liger forwards and slamming into two Fangs, shattering their legs instantly. The blue Zoid whipped around and blasted four more into oblivion with some well-aimed missiles. An explosion rocked the Liger and Van was slammed to the side of his seat. 

*Shit! These guys mean business!* Van snarled and snapped the Liger's twin blades out, charging past the few in front of him and looking back to see them exploding. 

"Hah! This'll teach you to mess with the Guardian Force!" Van cried and rotated the blades forward and over the Liger's head. He locked onto the remaining five and pulled the trigger, watching with glee as they fell to the ground, destroyed. 

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Man, that sure was fun. Hey Thomas, you alright now?" 

"I've been better…" Van laughed and trudged the battle-weary Liger over to him. "Hey Van," Thomas asked, gazing at his screen. "What's that over there?" 

Van twisted the Liger around and gazed at where Thomas had pointed. "I don't see any-" the teen felt his heart clench as his eyes locked onto a limp form on the desert ground. 

"God no… ZEEK!!" Van screamed and practically ripped the Liger's hatch open, leaping to the ground awkwardly and sprinting over to the fallen Organoid. 

"Zeek! What happened!?" He cried, sliding to a stop and sending up a spray of sand as he fell next to his friend. "Answer me Zeek! Wake up dammit!!" Hot tears welled in his eyes, threatening to spill over his cheeks soon. 

Thomas ran up next to him. "What…what happened? How did Zeek get outside of the Liger?" 

"I don't know!" Van cried, shaking his head hard enough to scatter his tears. "He-he was just fine and then…" he gasped, realization dawning on him. "That last explosion…Zeek must've been blown out from the impa…" Van shook the Organoid by the side as he began to shiver. "Zeek!! Don't you dare quit on me! Not now!! Zeek!? Zeek!!" 

For a painful moment, Van briefly imagined life without Zeek. *No, it'll never happen! Zeek won't die on me! He won't!* His back heaved with shaky sobs as the miniature Zoid suddenly stopped shaking. 

"…Zeek…?" Van breathed. He suddenly let out an ear-piercing wail of agony. 

_"ZEEEEEEK!!!"_

*** 

"Get off me!" Van snapped as Thomas laid a hand on his shoulder. 

"I was only try-" 

"I said get off me!!" Van shoved his hand away, barely restraining himself from leaping at the man, venom boiling behind his eyes. Thomas wisely backed off and left the room, passing Irvine as he went. The bounty hunter snagged his arm. 

"Hey, how's he doing?" he asked quietly. 

Thomas cast him a horrified look. "If you want to lose limbs then feel free to walk on through," Thomas jabbed a thumb towards the door. "He's been pissed ever since it happened. I tried to cheer him up but he nearly took my head off!" 

Irvine hushed him down. "If he hears us talking it might upset him even more." He sighed and gazed at the door to Van's room. "I'll see if I can't cheer him up, you get some sleep." 

"But, Irvine-" 

Irvine held a hand up, silencing him. "I've known him longer than you have; I know what makes him tick. So I don't think I should have any troubles with cheering him up, alright?" He smiled at Thomas. "Besides," he watched the man stifle a yawn, "you _are_ tired." 

The lieutenant merely smiled at him and nodded. "I suppose, today's battle really knocked the stuffing out of me and the D-Bison. I'll need to check on the repairs anyway, so I guess I'll let you be." 

Irvine chuckled and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "See? You already have your hands full. Go find the Doc, he'll be able to help you." 

"Sure, see you around Irvine, and try not to get yourself killed in there." 

The bounty hunter turned and waved over his shoulder, the smile falling from his face. If Van _was_ as angry as Thomas had said, then he'd have to tread lightly. He breathed in deeply and peeked his head around the corner, eyes going wide. 

The room was completely silent for quarters containing Van. He sat in the middle of his bed, back to the wall and head down with one leg bent up to rest his arm on. The room was dim but Irvine could clearly see the tears that had begun to slowly trace their way down his face. 

"Uh…Van?" Irvine said after a long moment of staring. 

Van didn't move. For a second, Irvine thought him to be sleeping. "Hey Irvine, come to cheer me up like Thomas?" he raised his head to stare daggers at Irvine. "Or have you come to tell me that I screwed up royally out there today?" 

Irvine bit back the instant reaction to yell back at him; it wouldn't have helped matters if Van was this upset. Instead he stepped into Van's room and smiled at him, shaking his head. 

"No Van, I'm not here to tell you how to fight; you're in the Guardian Force, you don't need me telling you anything about fighting." He put his hands on his hips, still smiling. "But yeah, I'm here to try and get you smiling again." 

Van held his gaze for a second longer before tearing his eyes away and narrowing his eyes. "I don't need your pity, Irvine…" he breathed. "I just want…that he…" His voice trailed off and he swallowed hard, throat protesting violently against the lump that resided there. 

Irvine took a step forward. "Van?" he whispered. No response from the young pilot. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

Van remained silent but nodded all the same; a small motion, almost unnoticeable if Irvine hadn't been watching. "I guess…" he breathed. 

The bounty hunter moved silently across the room in two strides and sat next to Van on the small bed. He watched the young pilot for a long moment; watching how he could hide everything behind those child-like eyes; watching now, how he struggled with his pain. 

"You know…" Irvine began softly. "Zeek isn't gone, Van…" 

The teen felt every muscle in his body lock up, suddenly cold despite the heat of the room. He turned slowly to stare wide-eyed at Irvine, wishing to hear those words again. 

"…What?" Van whispered, voice full of concern and hope all the same time. 

Irvine simply nodded in response. "Doctor Dee said that the impact severely hurt him, but if he's strong, he'll pull through. They're keeping him in the sixteenth hanger so they can watch over him while he recovers." 

Van kept his wide-eyed gaze on Irvine a moment longer. The mention of 'if' spoke volumes to Van: _If_ Zeek survives, _if_ he pulls through, _if_ he'll be all right. Van bit his bottom lip as he turned away, staring at the ground. 

Irvine raised an eyebrow at him. "Van? I'd have thought you'd be halfway there by now. What's up?" 

The teen shook his head sadly. "I just…" he paused. "Out there today, when it happened, I had the most horrible thought going through my head…what would life be like without Zeek?" He narrowed his eyes in obvious agony. "I make one simple miscalculation and Zeek nearly dies because of it. Some pilot I am…in the Guardian Force and I still manage to nearly kill my best friend…" 

Irvine held his hands up. "Whoa Van! Hold up!" he said, not to gently. "It wasn't your fault; there was no way of knowing that you and Thomas were going to be ambushed there and secondly-" 

"Just forget about it Irvine!!" Van yelled, hands flying to cover his ears. "I don't want to hear excuses! I made a stupid mistake and it almost cost Zeek his life!" The tears that were welled in his eyes began to roll down his cheeks, staining his shirt as they dropped off his chin. "I should have known that we were going to be attacked! I should have thought about the risk! The only reason I'm in the Guardian Force in the first place is because I was too stupid to realise that I should have quit while I was ahead! Everything I do is chalked up to sheer dumb luck because I'm too stupid to know any better!" Van sobbed loudly, bring his knees up to his chest and hiding his face as his back shook with heavy breaths. 

Irvine scowled at him. "Then you really are pathetic…" 

Van raised his now red eyes to meet Irvine's blue ones. "What?" he sniffled in shock. 

"If you can't see all the good things you've done for people and all you do is concentrate on your bad points, then you're nothing but a pathetic person. Shit Van, how many people out there are grateful to have met someone as wonderful as you?" He held his tongue from adding another ending to his last sentence. "Think of all the people you've saved because of your piloting talent! That is not 'sheer dumb luck' Van; you have a real knack for piloting Zoids and _that's_ what got you into the Guardian Force!" He glared angrily at Van. "What the hell would Maria or Zeek think about the way you're acting now? You're being nothing more than a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum!" 

Van's shocked face had slowly merged into one of pure horror through Irvine's rant. *No, that's not true…* The teen knew his sister would never do or say anything the way Irvine was now. 

"You're wrong Irvine…" he breathed. "You are so wrong…" 

"Am I?" Irvine snapped back instantly. 

"My sister would never talk down to me like you are now," Van ignored him, anger flaring. "She would sit with me and hold me and talk to me until I felt like being sociable again. I don't have her anymore, so all I can do is sit here and pray to whatever merciful god is out there to leave me be!" Van didn't care what he was saying as the tears rolled his cheeks again. "I swallow down my fear and my pride and I keep going; every time getting weaker and weaker because of it until one day when it's going to snap." He glared back at Irvine with an equal temper. "So don't put words into my sister's mouth, Irvine! I know perfectly well what she would do in this situation, and it's nothing like what you're-" 

Van was abruptly cut off as Irvine hugged him awkwardly around the shoulders; Van's face pressed against his chest. 

"So, is this what your sister would do Van?" Irvine asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

Van was stunned for a moment, too dumbfounded to do anything. He snapped to his senses and began to stammer vehemently, "Uh, w-wha…hu- I mean, um… Uh, y-yeah…" 

Irvine's smirk grew to a tiny smile. "So what do you want to talk about?" 

Van snapped further back into reality. "Huh?" 

The bounty hunter shook his head. "You said your sister would sit and hold you while she was talking to you, right?" Irvine felt him nod his head. "Well, I've fulfilled two of those requirements… So what do you want to talk about?" 

The black-haired youth felt a warm feeling creeping to his face as Irvine held him. He swallowed and blinked a few times as he thought about what Irvine had said. 

"Um… w-well…I don't know really…" he whispered. "Er…how did you become a bounty hunter?" 

Irvine was taken aback by the strange and sudden question. "Well, I've been one for about six years now," he answered as he remembered his past. "I started out as just a petty thief; stealing this and that just to get by. It took some doing before my skills were recognised in the underground." 

"Underground?" Van asked dumbly. 

Irvine smiled at him. "A name for the society of thieves," he quickly explained. "As it turned out, I was getting close to being one of the best and that made the heads very nervous. So they set up a little challenge for me; if I passed, I'd have to run for my ass for the rest of my life, if I failed, I'd die in the test anyway." He chuckled despite the severity of the memory. "It all sounds really stupid now that I think about it; I was just some punk kid that a bunch of thieves and peeping toms were afraid of." 

Van smiled on Irvine's chest. "Sounds like fun. So what was the test anyway?" 

The bounty hunter smirked down at him. "I had to swipe a Zoid from a heavily guarded Imperial base." 

Van sat bolt up and stared Irvine straight in the eye. "Say what!?" 

Irvine laughed at him. "Yeah Van, and I passed too. That's also how the Command Wolf and I met." Van smirked in surprise as he rubbed the back of his head. "So hey, how did you and Zeek meet?" 

Van smiled at him. "About a year and a half ago, I was being chased through the desert by some of Rosso's thugs all the way into these ancient ruins. I was pretty much under siege there so I decided to start nosing around." His expression softened and he leant back against the wall, eyes tracing the faint lines of the ceiling. "I found this secret room and it had two Organoid pods inside; the first one was Zeek and the other one was Fiona. When Zeek first came out he nearly took my head off with that tail of his." He laughed at the memory. "And that's basically it; that's how Zeek…and I met…" Van trailed off; his smile fading as he suddenly remembered where Zeek was. 

The black-haired youth lowered his eyes to the floor and sighed deeply. Irvine watched him intently for a moment. 

"Van?" The teen in question looked up. "Come on, let's go see how Zeek's doing. It might cheer you up some more, even though I already got you smiling." 

Irvine stood up and took a step forward before Van's hand shot out and snagged his arm. The bounty hunter turned to stare at him in wonder. 

"Van?" he asked quietly. 

"Irvine, could…" he paused for a moment, unsure of how to voice his question. "Could you promise me something?" he asked, biting his bottom lip. 

Irvine raised an eyebrow. "That depends; is it life threatening?" 

Van shook his head quickly; Irvine guessed that he was serious about it, whatever it was. 

"What…what you did just now…the way you held me and talked to me…" he wished Irvine would turn his gaze away. "Could you…" he sighed and shook his head quickly, blurting it out. "If I'm feeling down, could you maybe do that again?" 

Irvine's features set in mild surprise. He knew Van wasn't just asking for a casual hug every now and then; the teen was asking for genuine emotional support from him. He blinked and looked away, realising suddenly, that Van's hand was still gripping his arm. 

The bounty hunter smiled; why shouldn't he help him? He was his friend after all, and even after all the jokes and smiles, they'd still be good friends. He'd known Van long enough to grant him this much. 

"Sure Van, anytime you want," he watched as Van raised his hopeful smile up to meet Irvine's eyes. Even as one of the strongest members of the Guardian Force, and nearly eighteen years of age, Van was still a child behind those eyes. 

"Now come on, don't get all sugary sappy on me. I've got enough problems without having to worry about a bloody toothache from all this," Irvine grinned. 

Van laughed at him and released his arm. He stopped and stood up tall, still over a full head height shorter than Irvine, smiling up at him. 

"Thanks a lot Irvine, really…" Van said in complete sincerity. His face lit up in happiness. "So hey, let's go and see how Zeek is doing!" He walked quickly to the door before stopping and turning to Irvine, face set in worry. "Um, Irvine? Could we maybe not tell anyone about this? I mean, I'd hate to have any of the others knowing how…" he struggled for a word, "…weak…I was." 

Irvine frowned at him. "Idiot. Showing someone what you're feeling inside doesn't make you weak; if anything it makes you a better person," he sighed at Van's expression. "Confronting what's inside of you will ultimately lead you to understanding yourself better." 

Van raised an eyebrow. "Wow Irvine, that's pretty deep…" 

Irvine's graceful summation was a shrug and, "Yeah, I read it in a fortune cookie." The black haired youth laughed at him and grinned. 

"Come on then, I really want to see Zeek," Van said with a small chuckle. 

Irvine nodded and followed him out, walking silently together through the many hallways and passages of the base until they stood outside of hanger sixteen. Van entered his access code and the two walked in. He smiled as he saw Fiona, Moonbei, Thomas and Doctor Dee standing around an Organoid pod. The doctor turned around and smiled at him. 

"Van! Irvine! Glad you two could make it!" Van ignored him as he walked past them all and pressed his hands to the green glass that held Zeek. 

He smiled sadly up at the miniature Zoid and chuckled. "Hey Zeek… Don't worry buddy, you'll be out of here in no time flat…" 

Thomas sidled up to Irvine, leaning over to him and whispering, "Whatever the hell you said sure has cheered him up. What was it?" 

Irvine smirked at the lieutenant. "Trade secret." 

Van turned to Doctor Dee. "So Doc, how long will it be before Zeek is out of here?" 

The old man 'hmm-ed' in thought and rubbed his chin. "Well given the fact that Zeek has a high tolerance of battle damage and he's been forcefully ejected from the Liger more than once, meaning he's got a higher resistance to it. That and also that he-" 

"The point, Doctor Dee…" Van interrupted. 

"Three weeks, four at the absolute most," the old man finished quickly, sensing the teen's temper flaring. "He'll have to stay in this Organoid pod for the duration of that time though. Utilising the pod this way, Zeek will be able to recover much faster." 

Van felt awful; a month? He smiled his thanks at the doctor however. Fiona smiled at her friend. 

"Now Van, you know how tough Zeek is. He'll be just fine; everything's going to be alright, you'll see." Fiona said sweetly. 

Van smiled at her. "Yeah, I know he will be," he turned back to the doctor. "Hey Doc, take care of him, you got that?" 

The old man nodded. "And when have I ever let you down? Zeek's in the best of hands with me!" 

Van laughed. "I suppose I can give you that much; you are damn good when it comes to Zoids." He smiled at all of them. "Well, I have to go check the damage on the Blade Liger. See you all later." He waved at them and walked off quickly, not waiting for a response. 

Van strode outside and headed straight for the hanger where his Liger was. He took a deep breath as he gazed up at his Zoid. 

"Not too much damage, at least, not on the surface…" he mused as he walked over to it and began climbing up to the cockpit. 

He lifted the hatch and climbed in, closing it swiftly behind him as he sat down in the pilot's seat. Van quickly started the self-diagnostic on Liger and sat back with a loud sigh. 

"A month…a month without Zeek…" he whispered. 

Van clenched his eyes tight as he felt a lump rise to his throat. He swallowed and drew in a strangled breath, forcing it to go away. He felt his cheeks heat up as he bent forward and wrapped his arms around himself. 

"I'm not weak…" he breathed shakily. "I'm not weak… I won't cry… Boys don't cry…" 

His body apparently, was not listening to his voice as tears welled in his eyes and began to blur his vision. He choked out a sob. 

"Boys don't…cry…" he stammered through his sobs. 

Van's breathing was fast and strangled as he sat up and swallowed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Dry your eyes you baby…" he whispered to himself as he finally bit back the last of his tears. 

"All this pain…I hate it so much… I just want it all to go away…" Van opened his eyes, a sudden thought buzzing through him like adrenaline. "I can end it… I know how to make the pain stop…" 

He sat bolt up and cancelled the self-diagnostic, sparking the Liger to life and charging it from the open hanger. 

*** 

"Sir? I think you'll want to see this," a soldier in the control room said. 

The general walked over to him. "What is it Buler?" 

The soldier pointed to a blip on the radar. "I ran a scan on it sir; it's Van Fleihight's Blade Liger. It left here at top speed around twenty seconds ago, bearing two-twenty-three; towards the Geno-Breaker's last known position." 

The general's eyes went wide. "Is that boy insane!? Patch me through to him immediately!" 

"Sir!" Buler replied and pulled up a com window. Van's face appeared on-screen, ticked off at the disturbance. 

"I'm on personal business here, sir. Please don't mind me," Van said before the general had a chance to speak. "I'll be back before long. Just tell the others I went off for supplies." The black haired youth cut the connection. 

The general stared dumbfounded at the screen for a moment. Buler looked up at him. 

"Sir…?" 

The general stared down at him. "Run a tracer on him at once! He may be a freelance pilot but he's still in Republican territory!" 

Buler began to sweat; the general had never been this angered and surprised all at once. He thought it best if he did what he wanted, and quickly. "Um, sir…I can't…" 

"And why not?" The general asked sternly. 

"He's activated his cloaking device, sir. We can't find him on any sort of frequency or scan!" he tapped a few more buttons at lightning speed. "And he's sealed off all communications to his Zoid. We've lost him completely!" 

The general sighed in frustration and turned away. "When he gets back, he'll pay for this, I swear it." 

Buler swallowed and went back to work; silently praying to whatever god there was that the general would be merciful to Van's poor soul when he returned. 

*** 

Van's face set to a scowl as he cut off the connection, turning the device off completely. He flicked a series of switches under a hidden panel, smirking faintly to himself. 

"At least that will stop them from trying to interfere." He mumbled. "With the Liger now completely hidden from all frequencies and scans, I can finally get on with it." 

He glared venom at the horizon. "No more pain; I'll end it all right now…" The Liger blasted past a few rocky outcroppings. 

"You're mine Raven…" he breathed. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
  
Chan: Yes, I am perfectly aware that Van is psycho to take Raven on in a one on one battle. Bah! If he loses, we shall point and laugh at his pain!!  
Van: Why's it always me...?  
Chan: Erm...well, where would we be without a touch of angst, ne?  
Irvine: Whatever...  
Van: *teary eyes* How can you be so cruel?  
Chan: Easy. I'm a fic writer. *gains an evil smirk and somehow begins to levitate in a cloud of spooky darkness* And you have not yet BEGUN to feel pain my little black haired cutie!!  
Van: *whispering to Irvine* For the love of all things sacred, please swap places with me...  
Irvine: *walking off* Not a chance! *is violently glomped by Chan* ACK!! GEDOFF!!!  
Chan: *grinning maniacally* NEVER!! Your sexy butt is mine!!  
Van: Now I'm really scared...  
Chan: *from the background* Read and review pleeeeease!! 


	2. Pains and Revalations

Yay! I'm back to destroy the Zoids world with the impending doom of shounen-ai! MWA HA HA HA HA!!! Yes, there is actually some decent stuff in this chapter! *out of nowhere appears a thought bubble of lil' perverted yaoi-full thoughts* Bah, they can come later... One with the legal stuffage:

Disclaimer: I own no Zoids or charas...I just like to use them for my own facked up reasons... That and I stole a quote from Shinji from the End of Evangelion movie (now you must read and tell me which one!)

Warnings: The two boys are now making PHYSICAL CONTACT by the love of Cheese!!! Wah, they kiss and stuff...not too much stuff, FanFiction would ban me... That and a bit of swearing and blood and nearly dead persons being found in the middle of the desert. And YET more Van angst!! GAD!! 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part two 

Pains and Revelations 

  
  
"He did _what!?_" Irvine yelled at the general as everyone else stood behind him. Everyone else was Fiona, Moonbei, Thomas and Doctor Dee. 

The general nodded. "He's locked out all communications and he's apparently cloaked himself well enough to avoid all frequency and environment scans." He watched their faces alter into ones of shock. "And that's not all…" 

"There's more?" Moonbei asked. "What is he planning to do? Run away?" 

"More like get himself killed," the general explained. "He's headed towards the Geno-Breaker's last known position." 

Fiona gasped in shock. "You don't think… Is this because of what happened to Zeek?" 

The general shook his head. "Whatever the reason, if he survives, when he returns he will be properly punished for this recklessness and insubordination." With that said he strode off, intent in dealing with other matters. 

Irvine narrowed his eyes at the man, turning away and storming towards the Lightning Sykes. Moonbei watched him leave. 

"You're not thinking of going after him, are you?" she called. 

Irvine whipped around to scowl at her; apparently she'd hit a nerve. "Moonbei, I'm not going to sit around while Van goes off and commits _suicide_. He's after Raven; in his Geno-Breaker, he'd have Van done in no time!" He turned away and kept walking towards his Zoid. "And I'm _not _about to let that psycho take out one of my friends!" 

The others watched in silence as Irvine climbed into the Sykes and brought it to life, turning to charge out of the hanger in a bright flash of boosters. 

He growled at the landscape in front of him. "Come on Sykes! We need to get to Van before he gets himself hurt!" 

The Zoid roared in response and sped up in a sudden burst, knocking Irvine to the back of his seat. He frowned to himself. 

*Or worse…* 

*** 

Van brought the Liger to a walk as he neared Raven's last known position. He frowned; trust Raven to pick a spot where the terrain is against you. The rocky outcroppings of the lower desert area weren't the best for manoeuvrability, even in the Blade Liger. He avoided walking into the narrow canyon and waited where the land was still slightly in his favour; only a few large rocks around him. Van let out a noise of frustration and turned on his loudspeaker. 

"Raven! I know you're out here! Come out here and fight me one on one, you coward!" he yelled. His amplified voice echoed off the empty rock walls, sending a vibration through the air. 

Van raised an eyebrow; he never knew his loudspeaker was loud enough to do that. He froze as the vibrations grew stronger, travelling through the Liger. He whipped around to see the Geno-Breaker landing almost gracefully in front of him, despite its immense bulk. 

"Van Fleihight…" Raven's voice and image came over his com link. "I must say I'm pleased with your courage. Not many want to challenge me one on one these days." He smiled at him with laughing eyes. "Or is it stupidity that you now face me with?" 

Van snarled in anger. "Shut up Raven! I'm here to destroy you!" he screamed at the teen. "To stop all the suffering that you've ever caused! To the innocent, to Zeek and to me! No more!!" 

Raven laughed loudly at him. "Come off it Van! You've never been able to defeat me before! What makes you think you can do it this time?" 

The Geno-Breaker snapped its foot-lock in place and levelled its head at the Liger. Van whipped his shield into place as the Liger was engulfed in the blue-white light. The blast faded and the static left behind made the very air crackle. 

"Is that the best you got Raven!?" Van screamed in blind fury and charged at him, blades at the ready. 

*** 

Irvine frowned as he scanned the horizon. He spotted the many rocky outcroppings that formed the lower desert and started up a heat scan, hoping to find Van quickly. His fingers had just grazed the buttons when an immense explosion and a billowing cloud of fire tore his eyes to the east. Irvine's eyes widened in horror as a feral roar of a Zoid alerted his ears further. 

"Van!!" He cried and shot the Lightning Sykes over to whatever was ablaze. He prayed it wasn't his friend as he entered the narrow canyon and forced the Sykes to slow down. 

"Dammit! Stupid canyon!" he yelled in frustration. Irvine booted up a com window to Van, eyes going wide again. 

Through the severe static, Irvine could see the teen was unconscious and sat limply in his seat, one strap of his harness broken and blood trailing down his head and from the corner of his mouth. 

"Van! VAN!! Wake up dammit!!" Irvine cried desperately. The black haired youth didn't move and Irvine was relieved beyond belief when the canyon finally ended and he shot forward as fast as he could. Van's screen exploded in static as another explosion rang out, throwing Van forward roughly as the screen disappeared in static. 

"Van!?" Irvine cried in shock. He sombered quickly and scowled venom at the land in front of him. "You had to go and prove yourself, didn't you?" Irvine mused loudly. "Had to go and take on Raven, didn't you Van? You idiot… If you've gotten yourself killed…" 

Irvine scowled at the direction his thoughts were taking. *No, Van won't die; he's too strong for that.* 

Irvine gasped as he brought the Sykes to a dead stop, shoving open the hatch and leaping from the cockpit in a mad rush to get to the Blade Liger. As he ran forward he quickly surveyed the damage to the blue Zoid. 

"Not good! It looks like it's been through the shredder!" he said aloud. "And the cockpit is… Van!!" 

The bounty hunter ran up to the fallen Liger, scrambling up to the cockpit and looking inside quickly. He whipped around from his higher perch and stared intently around him. Irvine gasped and ran some fifty metres to where Van lay, unconscious still and face down in the sand. 

"Van! Wake up!" He shook his shoulders lightly. Irvine felt his heart somersault when Van's eyelids fluttered open slightly after a long moment. 

The black haired teen cast his blurry gaze up to Irvine, unable to move from pain. "…Ir…vine…?" he strained. 

Irvine nodded. "Yeah Van, it's me. Just what the hell were you thinking, taking on Raven like that?" 

Van winced in pain, gasping through clenched teeth at one point, as Irvine turned him over and cradled his head in his lap. Van smiled weakly up at him as Irvine began to wipe the blood from his head. 

"Raven…had to be…stopped…" Van breathed. "He's caused…too much destruction…already…" Irvine wiped the blood from his mouth and sighed. 

"You idiot, you almost got yourself killed this time!" he cried. 

Van strained a grin. "I hurt him…pretty bad…though…" he breathed in shakily. "The Geno-Breaker…won't…be functional…for a long while…" 

Irvine's expression softened. "But…" Van continued. "I don't think…I'll be…able to fight…for a…while…" He gasped in pain and his body tensed up. 

"Van!" Irvine cried. Van clenched his eyes tight as wave after wave of pain slammed into him. He cried out and clung to his ribs tightly. 

"Van, hold out for just a little longer! Please!" Irvine stared up at the Sykes and then down at Van. The teen had relaxed some but still clutched tightly to his ribs. "I'm going to radio the base so they can send out a recovery squad. I'll be right back Van!" 

Irvine stood up slowly, carefully putting Van's head onto the sand before sprinting over to the Sykes and pulling up a com window. 

The general stared back at him. "What is the meaning of this!? Where on Zi did you-" 

"I've found Van and the Liger sir!" Irvine interrupted. "The Liger's out of commission and so is Van. Send a recovery unit to our position immediately!" 

The general frowned for a moment but nodded all the same. "Consider it already done, just stay safe until they arrive." The general's face disappeared as the connection was cut. 

Irvine sighed, from relief or exertion, even he didn't know. He quickly checked the time; four in the evening. He jumped down from the Sykes and jogged back to Van. If the recovery team took ten minutes to mobilise then it would still take them two hours to get here, given that they were in a Gustav and Irvine had pushed the Sykes to it's limit getting here. The bounty hunter knelt down next to his friend, placing a hand on his forehead. Irvine frowned. 

"You're burning up, Van," he stated. "I know you're going to hate this, but I have to move you to shelter, just in case Raven comes back." 

Van opened an eye slightly and stared up at him. "No… If I'm…badly hurt, then…you could…do more damage…" he forced out. 

Irvine sighed and removed his hand. "You're probably right…" he smirked at Van. "Geez, you're an idiot Van…" 

The black haired teen smiled up at him. "Granted… Still alive though…huh?" 

The bounty hunter shook his head with a smile on his face. "Barely," Irvine lay down on his back next to Van, staring up at the dimming sky. "You were damn lucky Raven didn't finish you off this time. Just what were you thinking anyway? That you'd be the one to take him down?" He turned his head to the side to look at Van. 

Van's smile disappeared. "Yes and no…" he breathed in deeply, eyes tracing the line of clouds overhead. "I wanted to…stop Raven…from causing any more…pain to…everyone…" He scowled at the sky. "He's the…reason why Zeek's…in that dammed…Organoid pod…" 

Irvine watched Van's face intently as rage burned behind the teen's eyes. "And I…couldn't beat him…this time…which just proves…how weak…I really am…" 

Irvine propped himself up on one elbow and glared at Van. "Van, you're _not _weak, dammit! How many times do I have to tell you that until it sinks into your thick skull?" 

Van glared back at him. "Then why couldn't…I beat Raven?" 

Irvine rolled his eyes. "Because he's got that bloody Geno-Breaker and you're just one Blade Liger! Raven has the skills _and _the resources to beat an entire army, so don't think it's weak that you in your one Zoid got your ass kicked!" 

Van turned away, eyes narrowing. "That's no…excuse…" 

Irvine had heard enough. He grabbed the front of Van's shirt roughly as the teen locked shocked eyes with him. "Listen Mr Pessimistic, I don't care if you do call yourself weak all the time! You nearly got yourself _killed _this time! _Killed _Van, do you understand? What in the hell do you think the others would do if you died? Just have a long, hard think about all the people you'd leave behind all because of a stupid grudge! How heartbroken do you think they'd all be? _Think _before you act for Christ's sake!!" 

Van didn't move for a long moment, mulling over what Irvine had said. "And…" he breathed, expression softening. "What would…you do…?" 

Irvine froze as he slowly released Van. "I…" he said. "You're the best person I've ever met… I…I couldn't bear to live without you…" 

Van blinked up at Irvine as his shocked expression turned into a warm smile. "I guess…you were right, Irvine…" he whispered. "I really am…a pathetic person…" 

The bounty hunter was about to reply until he saw the tears welling in Van's eyes. He tried to blink them away but they stayed there. 

"Van…you're not…" Irvine said softly, ignoring Van's protests as he pulled the teen into a sitting position, his injuries long forgotten. The bounty hunter brushed his tears away softly with his thumb and smiled at him. "You couldn't be a more _perfect _person if you tried…" The black haired teen sniffled loudly as he smiled sadly back at the bounty hunter. 

"Irvine?" he said softly. "Would you…?" 

Van watched as Irvine smiled in understanding and leant forward, encircling the teen with his strong arms. Van returned the embrace and the two held each other tightly. The black haired teen felt hot tears trailing down his cheeks and he sniffled loudly. 

"It's going to be okay Van…" Irvine soothing voice said as he rubbed his back gently. "Just let it out…" 

Almost as if he'd been waiting to hear that, Van began to sob loudly, tears running down Irvine's skin as he buried his head in his friend's neck. Irvine held him closer, whispering words of encouragement into Van's ear. 

"I've been…so stupid…" The black haired teen said between sobs. "All this time…and it took Zeek…nearly dieing to show me that…" Van clenched his eyes tight as hot tears streamed down his cheeks. He sniffled loudly and fell silent of Irvine's shoulder. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he whispered. 

Irvine moved his hand to Van's hair, running his fingers through the soft tresses as he cradled his head against his shoulder. "Van, hey, it's going to be all right…" Irvine whispered. Almost unconsciously, the bounty hunter placed a soft kiss on Van's hair, trying his best to calm him down. 

Van sniffled and stopped sobbing, pulling back slowly to meet Irvine's eyes with his own distraught ones. 

"What…what was…that for?" Van asked quietly. Irvine felt his face heat up. 

"You were upset; I was trying to help you settle down," he looked down at the ground. "Sorry if I did something wrong." Van smiled warmly at him, raising a hand to tilt Irvine's head up, his gaze meeting his own once more. 

"Irvine, that's not how you kiss someone." 

Without warning, Van leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Irvine's. The bounty hunter bit back a squeak of surprise and stared wide-eyed at the teen who now had his eyes closed. Irvine swallowed behind the intimate brush and surrendered; his eyes closing as he began to kiss Van back. 

The young pilot reached up to cup Irvine's face gently with both hands. Irvine felt his cheeks burning as Van parted his lips slightly and began to trace the bounty hunter's lips with his tongue. Irvine put up with the sweet torture for a mere moment before parting his own lips and allowed their tongues to meet. 

Van moaned softly, a shiver running down his spine as Irvine gave in. He moved his hands up behind Irvine's neck, pulling him closer as he arched his back. Irvine ran his hands down the black haired boy's back softly, almost a tickling touch if it wasn't for the intimate situation. 

Van pulled back and the two parted, almost reluctantly. He panted softly as Irvine blinked at him. 

"Van, I-" 

The young pilot raised a hand to silence him, turning away and closing his eyes. "That was wrong…I'm sorry…" 

Irvine raised an eyebrow. "How could that be wrong? You seemed to be enjoying it." 

"That's the point!" Van exploded. "We're both _guys _Irvine! We're not supposed to _enjoy _kissing other guys!" 

Irvine's brow furrowed into a frown. "Who told you that it's wrong?" 

"No one…it's just a common assumption…" Van replied softly. *I'll be kicked out of the Guardian Force if they find out about this…* 

The bounty hunter sighed. "Van…" the teen looked worriedly up at him. "I'm sorry… If it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry that I kissed you back." 

Van lowered his gaze again. "No, it's not your fault Irvine… It's…it's just…" He sighed loudly and let his form slouch. "I'm so fucked up…" he whispered. 

Irvine placed a hand softly onto Van's shoulder. "Van, you're not, okay? And it's no one's fault either," he smiled at the teen before him. "You're a wonderful person Van, don't let anyone else tell you differently, because that's what makes you _you. _It doesn't matter what you like or don't like, because that makes no difference to the person you are now." He smiled openly at the teen who gazed up at him. "Hell, look at me; I'm a criminal and a bounty hunter and you trust me as one of your best friends." 

Van smiled weakly back at Irvine. "I know, but…" he spoke softly, "that still doesn't justify why it had to happen at all." 

Irvine chuckled softly. "Didn't your sister ever hold you and kiss your hair softly when you were upset?" Van raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, but I never pashed my sister…" he mumbled. Irvine laughed at him. 

"Seriously though Van, taking the whole thing into consideration, I think it did you some good," Irvine spoke softly. Van's eyes went wide. 

"Come again!?" he shot. "What on Zi do you mean by that!?" 

The bounty hunter sat back and supported his weight on one arm. "Well, for one thing, I know that since this whole deal with Zeek started, you've been so tense that you started making some really weird decisions," he explained. "You never were the one to show your feelings before and I think that Zeek's turn for the worse delivered you a swift kick to the pants, so to speak; you opened up to me more than the others because I guess you can relate to me somehow. 

"You let it slip about what your sister used to do to you when you were upset and that stuck with me I guess. When you asked me to hold you those times, I knew you weren't asking me for just a casual hug every now and again, Van; you were asking me for genuine emotional support." He watched as Van sat there a bit stunned as he considered it all. Irvine grinned. "Am I right, Van?" 

The black haired youth stared up at him blankly. "You…" he frowned at Irvine for a moment before launching himself at him with a yell and throwing the bounty hunter to his back. Van scowled down at him, teeth clenched tightly as he sat on top of him, fists balled in Irvine's overalls. 

"Yes Irvine, you're right! Everything you said is true! Everything!" Van yelled in fury. "It _did _take Zeek nearly dieing to show me that; I never _did _show my feelings in the past; yes I _can_ relate to you in some way!" Van glared at him with narrowed eyes. "And you know what? I hate it Irvine! I hate how you can always be right about everything; I hate how you can always smile about things; I hate the way you're always so confident and happy; I hate how I can relate to you!! I _hate _you Irvine!! _I hate everything about you!!" _Van took a gasping breath through clenched teeth. "And I wasn't just asking for emotional support because…because I…" Van trailed off as he relaxed on top of Irvine, releasing his overalls. He sat still for a moment and Irvine just lay there as Van's back heaved with sobs. The teen looked back at Irvine, fresh tears in his eyes and a tortured look on his face. 

"Because I've fallen in love with you…" 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: Wa~ai!! I love a good shounen-ai story! 'Specially when it's Van and Irvine!! *melts and thinks lil' perverted yaoi-full thoughts*  
Van: Why have you made me such a sissy? And- *notices authoress' thought bubble and squints* ...is that physically possible??  
Chan: It is in my world, Van-kun!  
Van: *backing off* I wanna leave then...  
Chan: Not on my imagination you don't!! *chases after a screaming Van*  
*Irvine watches the show with popcorn in hand*  
Irvine: At least she's not after _my_ butt anymore... 


	3. Just Smile

Yes, I'm back to screw up the loveable lives of those loveable Zoid pilots once again! Joy! ^_^ Anyhoo, a few remarks to my selective audience:  
To Ninetails – thanks heaps for the good remarks, the first scene I actually wrote of this story was that bit with Irvine and Van in Van's room, so there you go. Maelgwyn – ya, the spacing shights me too but I'm a sucker for one-liners…short ones…and lots of them…hoo… (I tried to fix it a bit in this chap tho) Psycho-Kitty-Purra – okay, you can have Irvine, but I get VAN!! ^_- Naomi Hunter – (cool name BTW!) your stories ROCK; plain and simple! (especially Bed of Roses… *drooooool*) But yeah, I was pointing out that there aren't many _Van + Irvine_ pairings within all the shounen-ai's. Legal crap:

Disclaimer: By the love of all things Cheesy, I still don't own Zoids…I just love to fack up the characters minds with my inane scribble.

Warnings: YES!!! Van + Irvine get a lil' intimate in this chapter!! (Van: A LITTLE!?) *ahem* If you don't like the idea of Van and Irvine being together, go read Peter Pan you homophobic freaks. Send me flames and I'll just use 'em to start forest fires, it's a hobby of mine.

Oh yeah, and that anonymous general finally got a name in this chapter too! 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part three 

Just Smile... 

  
  
Irvine blinked back his surprise, lying still for a long moment before slowly reaching up with one hand to hold Van's cheek. The black haired boy closed his eyes against the touch, unconsciously leaning into it. 

"Van…" Irvine whispered. "But…for how long?" 

The young pilot shook his head sadly. "I don't know…I honestly don't…" he opened his ebony eyes to gaze at Irvine. "I'm just…so confused about it all, Irvine… It scares me, to tell the truth…" 

Irvine placed both hands onto Van's shoulders, staring up at him with a clear gaze. "Van, you're not the only one who's confused. But even if we are, we still shouldn't be scared of our feelings for each other." 

Van stared down at Irvine, slightly stunned. *_Our _feelings…for _each other?_* He blinked in realization. "Irvine…? You mean, you…?" The bounty hunter nodded with a warm smile. 

"Yeah Van…" he almost laughed at the blank expression on Van's face. "You're more than just a best friend to me; more than just a brother in arms… I guess it just took a while to realise it too, huh?" 

Van slowly began to smile widely. He felt happier than he had in a long time; heart swelling almost to bursting point as pressed his hands flat on Irvine's chest. As fucked up as he thought it was, he had to admit he really liked the new feelings. Van had a split-second hesitation flare in his mind: what would the others think of this? He dismissed it as soon as it entered his mind. Van was positive that Irvine would agree with him that as long as they were together, nothing could be better. And they certainly didn't need Fiona or Moonbei telling them that they couldn't be with one another. 

"Say Irvine," Van said softly, slowly massaging the bounty hunter's chest with his thumbs, his smile fading to a warm smirk. "I was lying before… I did like it…" He watched the cogs in Irvine's head tick over. "And I wouldn't mind repeating the experience…" 

Van leant forward and softly pressed his lips to Irvine's, loving the sudden tingle that ran down his spine. The bounty hunter ran his hands over Van's back, pulling his body closer to his own. The young pilot slowly slid his hands up to fumble with the clasp at the top of Irvine's overalls, frowning when he couldn't get it undone fast enough. 

He broke the kiss lightly. "Dammit Irvine, why d'you have to wear something with such a stupid buckle?" He mumbled and went back to kissing him. 

Irvine reached up and held both of Van's wrists in one hand, unclipping the nuisance quickly, and smirking under the kiss. With Van's hands still trapped, Irvine reached up to the teen's exposed stomach and traced the skin there with a feathery touch. Van jumped at the light contact, moaning as Irvine found the most sensitive area. The bounty hunter was quick to respond and he held Van's hands tighter, refusing to let go as he slipped the fingers of his free hand up the front of Van's shirt to caress taught muscles. 

Van was in seventh Heaven; the speed at which his head was spinning from the whirlwind of new sensations was almost too much for him. Van moaned again as Irvine refused to let go, torturing him blissfully while Van was fully restrained. It was an incredible feeling; Van had no control over what happened and the thought of that was driving him insane. All to soon, Irvine pulled his lips away from Van's, breathing hard as he muttered a barely discernable "You don't hear me complaining about your stupid tight shirt," returning to the kiss as if it were never gone. 

Van pulled back suddenly, panting heavily as he stared back at Irvine with half-closed eyes; Irvine held the same state as Van, though his look was more questioning. 

"Don't…don't you think…" Van whispered hoarsely, "that maybe we're going a bit fast?" 

The bounty hunter considered the pilot sitting on top of him for a moment before smiling warmly up at him. "We'll go as fast as you want, Van," Irvine replied, finally releasing Van's wrists to reach up and hold Van's cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. 

Van gave him a small, lop-sided smile as he gazed into Irvine's light indigo eyes. He sighed softly and leant forward, stretching out and lying gently on Irvine's chest. The bounty hunter tenderly wrapped his arms around the young pilot and smiled at him, kissing his hair softly. 

"Irvine…" Van said after a long while. 

"Mmm?" Irvine replied quietly. 

"What…do you think we should tell the others about this?" Van blurted out quickly. 

Irvine stopped for a moment. After thinking, he replied, "Not just yet… I mean, I think they'll be freaked enough that you went out for a one on one with Raven's Geno-Breaker. Not to mention nearly killing yourself because of it." 

Van sighed and closed his eyes. "I know…don't remind me." He groaned uncomfortably, brow furrowing. "Hey Irvine, could you rub the spot between my shoulders please? It's still a bit sore there." 

Irvine complied and chuckled at him. "I'm not surprised, you took a pretty bad hit in the Liger." 

Van opened his eyes. "How do you know?" He was sure he'd blocked out all incoming transmissions. 

The bounty hunter smirked. "The general told us before I took off that you'd cut off all communications, so I figured that a standard com hack was in order." 

Van raised his head to stare directly at Irvine. "You hacked into Liger's com system?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Irvine smirked at him; Van returning with a frown. "Lemme guess, a talent from your past life?" Van asked wryly. 

The bounty hunter laughed and that was all the answer Van needed to hear. Irvine stopped laughing and stared evenly at Van. "I saw how badly you got hit in the Liger while Raven was still attacking you. You were hit so hard that your harness broke, that much I saw before the connection died," Irvine said. "When I found you, you'd been thrown a good fifty metres from the Liger." 

Van frowned and laid his head back on Irvine's chest. He hid his worried expression from the bounty hunter. *I was thrown from the Liger…? Then why aren't I dead?* He thought as he stifled a yawn. 

"Someone's tired," Irvine stated. 

"Am not." 

"Are too." 

"I am…" he yawned again, "…not." 

Irvine smiled at Van and pushed the two into a sitting position. "You need to rest Van. It'll still be another hour and a half before the recovery team gets here." 

"But I'm fine Irvine! You know as well as anyone else that I can take a beating and still keep going." He poked himself hard in the ribs to prove a point and doubled over, clutching them tightly. "Okay, that hurt…" he winced. Irvine frowned at him. "Seriously Van, you need to rest." 

Van glowered at him. "The last time you said 'seriously Van', I threw you to the ground and screamed bloody murder at you." 

The bounty hunter sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes Van, but if only this one time in your entire life, you need to listen to me. You need to rest up before the others get here." 

Van sighed and shook his head. It was pointless to argue with Irvine; we always won anyway. "Fine. I'll go take a nap or something…" he trailed off. "But wake me before they get here, okay?" 

Irvine nodded and stood up. "I'll go and move the Sykes closer to the Liger." Van noted for the first time how far away Irvine had actually left the Zoid. Irvine looked him over. "You alright to stand up?" Van nodded and waved him off. "It'll be fine…" 

The black haired teen struggled slowly to his feet as Irvine left, stumbled forward and nearly fell over. He winced in pain as he stabilised himself. "Stupid leg…" he grated out. He limped over to the Liger and rested against its large claw, running his hand gently over the cool metal. "Aw Liger…I never meant to put you through this…" he whispered sadly. "I was just too blind to see anything else except the destruction of Raven and my own personal vendetta… I'm sorry buddy…" 

Van stared up at the now dark sky, the stars glistening in the velvet blue. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry…" he whispered to himself. 

*** 

"And they haven't found them yet?" Fiona asked in a worried voice. 

Moonbei shook her head. "They know where they are. It's just getting to them is a problem," she sighed. "Van went and got himself caught beyond that rock canyon; the recovery unit's having a hell of a time getting to them." 

Fiona sighed and stared back at the floating Organoid in the pod. "Zeek… Don't you worry, Van'll be back in no time." Moonbei smiled at her. "There you go! That's a positive outlook we should all take!" 

Fiona smiled back at her. "Where's Doctor Dee?" she asked looking around. 

"Who knows? Probably out working on another crazy invention of his," she replied. "Well, either that or in the control room." 

The blonde girl nodded. "We should go and find him. He might have helped the recovery team get to Van and Irvine by now." Moonbei smiled and winked at her. "Sure thing, let's go." 

Fiona took one last look at Zeek before they left. *Van…please be all right…* 

*** 

"Van… Hey Van… Time to wake up Van…" a soft voice called. 

The black haired teen grumbled and rolled over. "…Mmno… Lemme sleep…bit more…" he replied tiredly. 

"No Van, get up now." 

Van groaned and opened one eye. "Go away…" He nearly jumped out of his skin and sat bolt up. "Ir-Irvine!? But what…where…" he calmed down as he gazed around. "Sorry…I was dreaming of home… I thought you were my sister." 

Irvine smirked. "I thought as much," he stared at Van's leg wide-eyed. "Van, are you alright?" 

Van followed his line of sight and blinked in shock. The side of his left pants leg had a rather large blood stain on it trailing from the knee to his boot. Van winced. 

"Shit, and I didn't feel that?" he asked in wonder. 

Irvine laughed off his worry. "Well it doesn't really matter now," he jabbed a thumb behind him. Van followed his line of vision and nearly laughed. 

A white Gustav ambled slowly over to them and stopped. The cockpit opened and two soldiers jumped out, running over to them. 

"Lieutenant Fleihight! We apologise for the delay sir!" They saluted him fiercely. Van blinked at them. 

"There's no problem, soldiers. If anything, the extra rest did me some good," he gazed up at the Liger, which he had fallen asleep under. "Too bad the same thing can't be said about my Zoid…" 

The second soldier helped Van to his feet, walking him over to the Gustav while the other tended to the Blade Liger. "Sir? I have an order from the general for you." 

Van raised an eyebrow. "Go on." 

"He wants you to report immediately to his office when we return. It sounded quite urgent, sir." 

The black haired teen swallowed. *Great. Probably going to chew me out for taking off so suddenly.* He nodded his thanks. "Alright then. Oh and uh, if you find Liger's missing blade out here somewhere, I'd be grateful." 

*** 

The trip back was long and uncomfortable for Van. Sitting dead still in the back of the Gustav with a bandage on his head and a bloody great patch around his leg was not his idea of fun. He took a deep breath and sighed silently. Still, the alternative could have been worse; he could have been testing out a new set of wings if it wasn't for his sheer dumb luck. Van frowned to himself. No, not sheer dumb luck, it was skill, _real _skill; that and Raven probably just got bored with him. 

Van closed his eyes and lowered his head, relaxing into his seat. He hated this silence. Apart from the continual roar of the Gustav's engines, there was no other sound, which, to Van, was just as bad as no sound whatsoever. He groaned in frustration, quietly enough so as not to alert the soldiers. He rather be banging his head against a wall than sitting there in silence. Van sighed and opened his eyes to stare at the stars that now glinted in the dark sky, eyes full of pain. 

"Dad…" he breathed unconsciously. He suddenly remembered how his father had hoisted the young lad onto his shoulders as they walked home from his father's early return from an assignment. Van had been five at the time and susceptible to bursts of giggles, especially at his father's antics. 

A wisp of a sad smile touched the black haired youth's mouth as Van leant forward to rest his arm on the side of the Gustav, and his head in his palm. 

*Who would have thought it possible…* he mused to himself. *I grew up in a village not knowing the horrors of war and end up _fighting _in it to destroy the pain it's caused. It's logical though really…* he frowned. *Humans will always have the urge to fight. Pacifism is a joke; it's just a fancy word made up by some dead democrat. As long as mankind exists there will always be fighting… Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead…* he smirked sadly. 

"Sir?" The soldier's voice snapped him from his thoughts. 

"Yes, what is it?" Van asked, sitting up straight. 

"We're almost back at the base, sir. We'll be arriving in about two minutes." 

Van smiled. "That's a relief…" The soldier raised a questioning eyebrow. "Sir?" 

The young pilot smirked at him. "I was getting hungry." 

*** 

As Van climbed wearily out of the Gustav, three figures came running over. Van smiled up at them; his friends, Moonbei, Fiona and Doctor Dee. He winced inside. Fiona… He'd known for a long time now that she liked him; he just never thought of himself to be the type of guy to have a girlfriend. He smirked. Now he _really _didn't think of himself that way. 

"Van! I'm so glad you're still alive! We were all so worried!" Fiona cried and threw herself around him. Van's eyes went wide but he managed to suppress a loud gasp. 

He grinned weakly at her when she released him. "Hey Fiona, good to see you too…" 

"Still alive, huh?" Moonbei smirked. "You're going to wish you weren't soon enough," the girl grinned at him. "You should go and see General Harlan now, Van. He's been expecting you." Van's face fell. The one thing he wished didn't have to happen. He nodded all the same. 

"Sure," he said quietly as he began to walk off. 

Van walked silently down the multiple hallways and staircases until he came to the large door of the general's office. He took a deep breath and knocked quickly. "Come in," came the hard voice. Van pushed open the door and slipped inside, closing it behind him. The general sat at the far end of the room at his desk. 

"General Harlan," Van said with a salute as he walked forward. "You wanted to see me, sir?" 

The older man looked up at him from his paperwork with a hard glare. "Van Fleihight, what you did today was totally irresponsible, defines all there is surrounding insubordination and, might I add, completely insane!" His voice ended at a yell. 

Van never tore his gaze away. "I understand that sir, but I-" 

The general stood up and narrowed his gaze at the young pilot. "I don't think you do, son," he walked out from behind his desk and moved to the front of it, leaning against it. "There are no words you can say to justify why you chose to go head to head with Raven, and there's no way of avoiding your punishment for that noncompliance." Harlan sighed heavily. "Despite that, the fact that you came back alive plus your previous record in the Guardian Force have somewhat reduced your punishment." 

Van waited for an answer. So he was still going to get punished for it, no surprise there; but having it shortened? He frowned to himself. "I accept my penalty sir. And I know that it was wrong of me to act of my own free will while under your command." 

Harlan nodded. "At least you're smart enough to see that…" he glared stonily at Van. "You will pilot no Zoid, whether it be for business or recreation, within the next two weeks. Your association with the Guardian Force and all militaristic factions will be terminated if you do so." 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: Yay! We have lemony goodness!! *grin* I love it...I love it good...  
Irvine: *staring at Van in the background* Is he going to be alright?  
Chan: Bah, it'll improve his character!  
Irvine: I mean you hit him pretty hard...  
Chan: So ya, the next chapter's gonna be fuuuuuuun to write!  
Irvine: Not to metion that whack with the frypan...  
Chan: Hey! I'm speaking to the readers here!!  
Irvine: Now that was just cruel...  
*Chan whacks Irvine with a rolled-up newspaper*  
Irvine: I didn't mean it!! Aw great, now she's starting on me!! *runs off with Chan in hot pursuit*  
Van: *in extreme pain* I want off this ride... 


	4. R & R

Hiya mina-san! *scratches head* Yeah, I've been away for a while and no, I wasn't dead, just been having a hard time writing… The story behind it? Well I had to pack up my computer for a bit so I couldn't get a chance to work on it for about a week. *sigh* And I don't have the internet up + running yet so I have to use a friend's! Ack… That and I didn't get to watch Zoids for almost a week… I nearly died without my Van fix…   
This is a particulary short chapter because where I originally wanted to split it got sort of shifted around into one huge scene (I'm talking like two-point-five pages). Legal crap:

Disclaimer: No Zoids for me. I still don't own it.  
Warnings: Um…someone says damned at the end? Man, this chapter is tame…

Oh yeah, and I actually found out that I've been spelling Moonbei's name wrong; it should read 'Moonbay' (which looks really wierd) but I'll keep my way anyway. Does anyone have any idea what Irvine's last name is by any chance? 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part four 

R + R 

  
  
Van's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "Sir, I…! B-but you can't…!" he said not too gently. 

"My decision is final, Lieutenant Fleihight…" General Harlan said evenly. "Don't make me rethink your sentence." He watched as Van sighed, regaining his composure, however little of it there was left. "Your Blade Liger will be repaired within that time and your Organoid will continue to be monitored." 

"Yes, sir…" the black haired youth saluted the man and walked quietly from the room. He slipped silently out the door in a daze; so much so that he didn't even notice Irvine waiting for him there as he began to walk off. 

"Van, hey!" Irvine called and snagged his arm. Van snapped his eyes up to meet Irvine's, the hard jerk on his arm jolting him back to reality. 

"Oh…hey Irvine…" Van whispered as they began to walk together. The bounty hunter watched Van from the corner of his eye, waiting until they got to the infirmary and had Van fully patched up before speaking. 

"So what's the damage?" Irvine asked quietly as they left for the Blade Liger's hanger, 

The young pilot shook his head slowly. "The blade's snapped off completely and-" 

"I mean to you; what's your punishment," Irvine corrected. "Whatever it is, it was enough to stun you into being all anti-Van." 

Van gazed up at him quickly before casting his eyes back to the damaged Liger. "Oh…you mean that…" he whispered. He narrowed his eyes sadly and turned back to the bounty hunter. "Irvine, do you have the rest of the day free?" A nod. "Where's the nearest town?" 

Irvine gave him a questioning look. "About five clicks east. Why's that Van?" 

Van sighed and closed his eyes. "Because I need someone to share a strong drink with…" he mumbled and turned back to the Liger. Irvine winced. "That good, huh?" The black haired boy grimaced. "You could say that…" 

"Van!" A sweet voice rang in their ears and the two turned to see Fiona and Moonbei jogging up to them. "Well, what happened Van? Was the general easy on you?" 

"Yeah Van, spill already," Moonbei said with a smirk. The young pilot grimaced and turned away from them. *Right now…I just want the floor to swallow me, right now…* he silently begged. 

"Because of my direct disobedience, I'm being banned from piloting any Zoid within the next two weeks, whether it be on militaristic or recreational grounds. If I do…" he paused to take a short breath, "I'll no longer be in the Guardian Force." 

Fiona's eyes went wide. "He can't do that! You're their best pilot! What if Raven attacks within that time?" 

"Fiona's right, Van!" Moonbei shot. "Besides, you're a Zoid pilot; what are you going to do for the next two weeks? You can't just sit around here!" 

Van gave them a weak smile. "Want to go get something to eat from the village?" he could almost have laughed at their sudden blank expressions. "Come on, it'll be my shout." 

*** 

"I still don't think it's fair…" Irvine whispered to Van in the back seat of the Gustav. Moonbei had offered to take them all since she could easily fit everyone in and now Irvine had struck up a private conversation with the teen. 

Van shook his head. "You don't think it's fair? How do you think I feel?" he breathed, incredulous. The shock of the situation had worn off for Van and was being quickly replaced with anger. 

Irvine glanced quickly at the two girls who were concentrating on the road ahead of them. He snaked his hand across and clutched Van's tightly. The black haired teen shot him a look of pure shock; his eyes conveying the warning, "If we get caught…" 

"Van, it's only two weeks, just relax and enjoy all the extra time off; think of it as a holiday. And besides, now you'll have more time to watch over Zeek," he gave the teen a lopsided smirk that was unbearably cute. "For me, Van?" 

Van couldn't help but smile back. "I suppose…only if it's for you though." He whispered back to him. His smile grew warmer as he gave Irvine's hand a gentle squeeze. *Only for you…* 

"Hey you two!" Moonbei shrieked as the two men instantly whipped apart. Van's eye twitched as his heartbeat pounded in tune with the Gustav's engines. "You two aren't planning anything back there, are you? Like trying to sneak out with a Zoid or anything, Van?" 

Van was about to speak when Irvine leant between the two girls with a wicked smirk on his face. "Now Moonbei, would we try anything like that?" he crooned. "Come on, it's us you're talking about here!" 

Moonbei winced in disgust as she focused on the road again. "That's what I'm afraid of…" she mumbled. 

Fiona giggled and turned to Van, who, by this time, was bright red as he stared outside. "Van? Are you feeling okay?" she asked. 

He whipped his head around and forced his voice not to squeak. "Fine, why do you ask?" He blurted quickly with an enormously nervous grin. Fiona smiled softly at his expression, a wisp of sadness about her. "Because we're all worried about you, Van," she said with a smile. 

He smiled back at her. "Yeah I know, and thanks for that," he paused for a moment, sighing suddenly. "Running off to the town… How am I going to explain this one to General Harlan?" He mumbled. 

Moonbei smiled while still watching the road. "Don't worry about that, Van. Why do you think it took me half an hour to get to the Gustav?" She grinned to herself. "I was squaring things away with the good General; you're free for the next seventy-two hours." 

Van stared wide-eyed at her, lips parted in shock. "You did what?" he asked, incredulous. 

The female transporter giggled. "I explained it to General Harlan that you were going through a pretty bad patch at this time, what with Zeek and all, and told him to take it into consideration that you are one of the best pilots this side has ever seen and deserve some extra credit every now and again." She turned to briefly flash a grin at Van. "He agreed with me, so you've got the next three days off to recuperate or whatever." 

The black haired boy blinked at her for a moment before smiling in complete surprise. He chuckled and leant back in his seat, relaxed again. "Wow Moonbei, thanks… I mean… Thanks!" She laughed at him and waved her hand dismissively at him. "Don't worry about it. Just consider it repayment for getting me out of that jam after the Grand Prix." Van nodded and cast a hopeful glance at Irvine. 

Irvine caught the look immediately, turning his head to return the glance. Van's eyes had a dark mischievousness to them, he noted, giving him an overall wicked look as he sat calmly there with a minute smirk plastered on his face. 

The bounty hunter just smiled and shook his head, leaning over to Van. His warm breath sent a shiver down Van's spine as he whispered, "Now, now, Van. Not until we find somewhere a little more discreet." Van swallowed hard as Irvine pulled back. That drink was beginning to sound better and better… 

*** 

"Keron Colony," Moonbei said as she stepped out of the Gustav. "Just as dusty and hot as the last time I saw it, even at night." Fiona stared at her as she stood with the others. "You've been here before Moonbei?" she asked. The transporter smiled and nodded at her. 

"A while back, before I knew you and Van," Moonbei explained. "This was a pretty big place for desert transporters to meet up and swap goods, so this was my temporary home for a bit." 

Fiona giggled at her and turned to Van as he threw the rest of his bandages into the Gustav. He'd replaced his usual red uniform shirt with a loose-fitting blue one before climbing out of the Gustav; he didn't want to be seen as a soldier while in his time off. The Zoidian smiled softly to herself; her friend had developed a handsome build since joining the Guardian Force. 

"Hey Van, hurry up with yourself already!" Moonbei chirped. "Geez, any slower and-" 

"Alright Moonbei, alright!" Van laughed as he jogged over to them. "Man, anyone would think you're eager to get away from the base or something." 

She shrugged and shook her head at him. "Military forces just aren't my thing, unless they're on our side of course." Van gave her an amused smirk. 

"What? Had a bad run-in with the Republican army?" he asked coyly. She scowled and punched him playfully in the arm. He laughed and glanced back at Irvine. "Hey Irvine, you coming or what? I don't want to have to deal with these two alone!" 

Irvine smirked at him. "You three go on ahead, I need to find us somewhere to stay." Moonbei paused for a moment. "Try the Orange Holiday; they'll give you a good deal if you tell them Moonbei sent you." She winked at him as he rolled his eyes. Fiona giggled at them. 

"Why don't we all go together?" She suggested. "That way Moonbei can show us some of the sights as well." The blonde girl latched both her arms around Van's shoulders and he squeaked embarrassingly at the sudden motion. Van stared down at Fiona with a look caught between shock and aversion. 

"Um…how about we find that inn first, huh?" he suggested gently. "This town is pretty big and we don't want to get separated. And besides…" he stifled a fake yawn. "I am kinda tired… And a nice sleep sounds really good at the moment." He glanced up at the large clock atop the town hall, the glowing hands showing well past ten at night. 

Fiona smiled and nodded, releasing him. "I guess so. You're still feeling the effects of the battle, aren't you?" A nod. "Okay then… Let's turn in for the night; we can sight-see tomorrow…" 

Van inwardly thanked whatever god was out there and smiled back at her. "Sure thing." He yawned for real and felt himself waver on the spot slightly. *I must be tired…* 

*** 

"That prick had to hit the main turbines, didn't he?" the grey haired boy mumbled, voice dripping with venom. "I'd be out of here tonight if it wasn't for that Van Fleihight. How dare he nearly destroy the Geno-Breaker; now I'm stuck in this pathetic excuse for a hole until I can steal the parts…" he smirked to himself. "Still, at least I finally got him off my back…" 

The grey haired boy sneered in disgust as he walked past another fruit stall, pulling his hood closer. His eyes were unfocused and they stayed on the road ahead of him as if he were drowsy which was far from the truth. Raven took in everything around him as he walked; from the flowers that lined the stalls to the conversations he heard, from the three ladies laughing outside the café to the two girls walking towards him. 

He bit back a snarl and slipped silently from the open street, ducking into a shadowed alley. He held his temper in check as the two girls walked past him, the taller of the two pointing out various things to the younger blonde haired girl. 

*The transporter and that ancient Zoidian…* Raven mused silently as they walked by, oblivious to his presence. He stared venom into the dark at their happy expressions. *Which means that Van is still alive…* Raven snarled softly. *I should have finished him off when I had the chance.* 

Fiona and Moonbei had almost disappeared from sight when Raven stepped out into the street again, steely eyes watching them like a hawk watches a wounded mouse. He adjusted his hood again to make sure it was secure before slipping after them as silently as he had came, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. 

"I'll have to watch over them then… We can't have two young girls wandering the streets alone at night, now can we?" he mused to himself. *And then maybe I can find out where that damned Van Fleihight is and finish the job once and for all…* 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Van: Raven's going to kill me…big surprise there…  
Chan: Oh you! *laughs* He's always trying to kill you, give the driven guy a break!  
Irvine: *from couch* Careful... If you tick her off, she might make him succeed this time...  
Van: I know, and that's what scares me.  
Chan: *misty eyed* Oooh Vaaan...I didn't mean to hit you so hard over the head. Where does it hurt?  
Van: Well, it does a bit he- Hey, no way!! I'm not falling for that again! Stay away from me, you psycho!!  
Chan: *rises above Van with the whole vampiric snarl + flames-from-hell background* WHAT!? I am NOT psycho!!  
*Van screams and promptly faints. Irvine blinks at him*  
Irvine: Wow, you got him good that time...  
Chan: *back to normal* Ha! Then I win, pay up Irvine! In the meantime, the next chapter will be up in a bit! Ja ne, readers!! *waves like a madman* 


	5. Busted?

Whee! Another chapter of merry mayhem! Ack, I'm doing this chunk offline so I can't reply to anyone's reviews! So sorry!! I had a quick peek though, and thanks once more to all who _did_ review the last chappie (you have no idea what this does to my lil' ego!). Bwah, I'm having so much fun writing this story and it's only my first Zoids fic!  
*sigh* I'm so sad... I finally saw the last ep of Zoids today which means it won't be re-aired and I'll have to wait at least two months before it comes out on DVD. Aww...I'll have to be content with watching the Death Stinger pre-Ultrasaurus episodes for yonkers... Meh, at least Van has some good moments in them ones. Bah, legalities and stuffage: 

Disclaimer: I own no Zoids, unless you count the Metalrhimos I got from my boyfriend (they're both so cute! ^_~) 

Warnings: If you thought the desert scene was good, WOOHOO!! Van + Irvine get a little more serious in this chapter! And then there's the shower scene... Umm...Van spends around half this chapter walking around without a shirt on - would this count?? @_@;; 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part five 

Busted 

  
  
Van shook his head as he walked into his and Irvine's shared room, sighing dejectedly. *What a rip-off…good deal, my foot Moonbei…* He dumped his considerably lighter credit sac on the bed and walked out onto the balcony. 

He rested his hands on the cool stone railing, the rough texture biting into his skin as he leant his weight onto his arms. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, holding it and releasing it after a long moment. Maybe Irvine was right…some time off might be just what he needed. What with everything that was happening with Raven and Zeek and Irvine and himself…it was making him too tense. 

His let out a hiss of air as he flapped the front of his shirt about in an attempt to cool himself down. *Moonbei was right; it _is _hot in this town. I keep forgetting just how hot it is when I'm cooped up in an underground facility all the time.* He stepped back and peeled his shirt off, throwing it next to his credit sac, smiling in mild success. 

"That feels better…" he whispered as the hot night air washed over his bare skin. Van stretched his arms over his head with a yawn, his Guardian Force chain chinking softly around his neck. He was actually glad for the time off now that he thought of it. When else could he just stand around and take in the wonderful sights of a night time desert town? *And who better to share it with…* he thought with a coy smile. *I wonder where he-* 

The door creaked open behind him and a moment later he felt strong arms encircle his body. He smiled and closed his eyes leaning back into the embrace. He didn't need to turn around to know who held him, so he was content to just stand there for the moment. He breathed in deeply as Irvine began to nuzzle his neck softly, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the affectionate touch. 

"Moonbei and Fiona have gone out for dinner…" Irvine murmured slowly. "Won't be back for a long while…" he let the statement hang. Van smiled wickedly to himself as he turned around in Irvine's arms. 

"Well now," Van started, "isn't that a shame?" He noted for the first time that Irvine was wearing only jeans as he traced teasing lines down his exposed stomach. "I guess that means we'll have to stay up late and wait for them, won't we?" 

Irvine smiled warmly down at Van as he claimed the youth's lips, sending a sudden tingle down Van's spine. Van moaned at the sudden contact and began running his flat hands up Irvine's front. The black haired boy inhaled deeply through his nose, surrounding himself in the dusty scent that was Irvine. He moaned freely as Irvine's lips left his and began to graze a hot trail of kisses over his cheek and down his neck. 

"Ah…" Van breathed raggedly. "Ir…vine…" He suppressed a shiver as the bounty hunter lightly sunk his teeth into his neck, sucking gently. 

The black haired boy nearly melted into the other's arms and he moaned again, running his hands into Irvine's hair. Irvine pulled the young pilot closer and ran his hands over his bare back, causing a shiver to run down his spine. 

"Irvine…shouldn't we…go inside…" Van panted as his pulse raced under Irvine's lips. "What if…ah gods…if someone sees us?" 

The bounty hunter smirked through his assault on Van's neck. "Then those peeping toms are going to get one hell of a show, aren't they?" he breathed before claiming Van's mouth again in a crushing kiss. Van deepened the kiss by lightly opening his mouth and trailing his tongue over Irvine's lips, inviting Irvine to do the same. The bounty hunter complied and kissed Van back hungrily, wanting more. 

The black haired boy snaked his hands down Irvine's back sensuously to rest over the belt that secured his jeans, palms on his hips. He traced two fingers up to slip them under the hard fabric, teasing the skin there. Irvine broke the heated kiss lightly to whisper, "Van, what-" 

Van silenced him by moving one hand up to hold his cheek gently; thumb resting over his lips. He stared into his eyes with a heavy lidded gaze, eyes clouded over with passion. His grazed his lips softly over Irvine's while breathing in deeply. "Please Irvine…" he breathed. "I want this so badly…" 

The bounty hunter stared back at Van with an even gaze, before pressing his lips to Van's for a long moment. Van felt all breath leave his body at the sudden move before he moved his hands over Irvine's belt buckle, fumbling with it blindly. Irvine pulled back a hair's breadth, hot breath still on Van's lips. "God… Van…" 

"Hey! Who locked this damned door!?" A shrill voice cried from behind the locked oak with an audible pounding. 

Ebony eyes snapped open to meet with startled mauve. It was Moonbei. They turned to stare wide-eyed at the door, still tightly embraced. "No respect! Fine, I'm coming in then!" 

Van's eyes darted back to meet Irvine's. "Oh-" 

"Shit," Irvine finished. He swivelled around on his heel, Van still in his arms. He strode towards the door and as he did so, unceremoniously threw Van towards his bed without halting. The young pilot gave a cry of surprise as he landed with a muffled thud. By the time he'd untangled himself from his sheets and his shirt, he saw that Irvine had the door open and was smiling at the two girls who stood before him. 

"And what brings you two home so early?" He asked with a coy smile. "Run out of things to show off, Moonbei?" The transporter punched him in the arm as she pushed past him. "Oh leave me alone…" His smile fell and he frowned at her. "Hey, watch it!" 

She ignored him and walked out to the balcony. Irvine raised an eyebrow. "What's with her?" he whispered to Fiona. 

The blonde girl smiled. "She got ignored by half the guys out there, but she'll claim it was just bad timing on their part." Fiona turned to stare at Van with a small giggle. "Van, no wonder you've got your shirt off, you're sweating in this heat!" 

Van suppressed a blush and laughed it off. *Among other things…* "Yeah, Moonbei said this town was famous for it's hot nights! I was taking a nap until the heat woke me up!" He noticed the paper bag in Fiona's hands. "Hey Fiona, what's in the bag?" 

Fiona smiled warmly at him. "Well, I know how you're still feeling over Zeek and I know how much you love these, so…" she handed the bag to him. He peered over the edge of it and cried out in happiness. 

"Papayas! Oh wow, thanks Fiona!" He practically yelled and ripped one out, sinking his teeth into the soft fruit flesh. Van gave a sound half way between a squeal and a moan as the juice ran down his parched throat. "Mmm… Thif iff fo good…" he mumbled between mouthfuls as he hastily finished the first one. 

Fiona giggled at him. "Van, slow down or you'll get a stomach ache!" Van grinned at her, fruit juice trailing from the corners of his mouth and all over his lips, dropping onto his chest. 

"I'm fine," he swallowed what was left in his mouth. "Besides, if I do, then I'll have the next three days to get better, won't I?" He picked up another papaya and chomped down into it. Fiona just rolled her eyes and turned to Irvine, who was staring at Van with a tiny smirk on his face. The bounty hunter made a mental note to personally remove that juice from Van's body later. 

"Say Irvine," she asked with a smile. "Why didn't you join the others in battle today?" He snapped out of his stupor and turned to face her. "Uh, well…" he scratched the back of his head. "To tell you the truth, I was, uh…sleeping." He flushed crimson. She stared at him for a moment before laughing loudly at him. 

Moonbei sighed and shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. Even though she had a bad night, she still found herself smiling because of her friends' antics; they always cheered her up. She looked back out at the town and blinked in mild surprise as she saw a slim figure sprinting away across the rooftops. 

"Wow…" she whispered to herself. "Kid must be in a hurry…" 

*** 

Raven froze as a slim figure came into view, a snarl forming on his lips as he ducked into the shadows. He continued to stare up at the balcony as he watched Van stare out over the night time town, oblivious to his presence. The grey haired boy balled his fists as he sank further back, temper barely in check as he pressed his back to a wall. 

Raven was in an alley behind the Orange Holiday; he'd seen the two girls walk inside and thought he would have a better chance of spotting them from the rooftops of a nearby building. While heading towards a few crates to get to the roof, however, he had seen his objective walk out into the hot night air. 

He bit back a curse as he heard a door close somewhere in the room. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he saw a familiar bounty hunter embracing the young pilot from behind. His hand snaked over the wall slowly and forcibly pulled his body along as his eyes refused to look away. His legs were numb from shock as he stared up at them; he'd always though Van was with that ancient Zoidian, not Irvine! 

Raven mentally slapped himself and slipped further down the alley before he heard, "I guess that means we'll have to stay up late and wait for them, won't we?" He felt like he was going to be sick. Just the thought of his greatest adversary and that bounty hunter together made him queasy. He froze suddenly, emotion falling from his face before a wicked grin formed over his lips. 

*Perhaps… Just perhaps…* he thought slyly. *But I'll have to be sure, as much as it sickens me…* He made a sick sound and shook his head quickly, heading off towards the crates he spied earlier. Ambling up them in no time, he slipped onto the rooftop of the building opposite the Orange Holiday and quickly ducked behind an air conditioning unit almost opposite their room. 

He could almost have made no attempt to hide, they were that preoccupied with each other. Raven raised an eyebrow and stood up, disregarding his hiding place and leaning one arm on the large unit, watching them with growing interest, his other hand resting on his hips. Van Fleihight, his all-time greatest enemy with a common thief. He smirked almost incredulously. A male thief at that. 

His eyes shot wide and his body stiffened as Van's hand made it's way down to rest on Irvine's belt. He ducked back down as fast as his body would let him and clenched his eyes tight; he'd seen enough to make sure. His hands flew to cover his mouth as he swallowed back the foul taste that had begun to rise to his throat. 

Almost as if he'd wished it to happen on cue, a shrill voice screamed from somewhere in the room, and Raven peered over the edge of the air con unit and saw, with much relief, that it caused the two to stop. He almost smirked as the bounty hunter threw Van into the room and continued walking away. Raven peered further out, head showing all the way over the top of the unit as he spied into the room. 

The grey haired boy cursed softly and whipped back again as Moonbei appeared on the balcony, watching the night time town. He peeped around the edge of the unit and frowned at her as she did nothing but stand there. *Why does she have to be such a nuisance? She's almost as bad as that other clingy brat.* His face set to a scowl as the thought of how Fiona acted around Van flared into his mind. He stopped in his tracks, considering where his train of thought was heading. *Maybe that's why he's with that Irvine instead of that annoying Zoidian… He's probably better for him than her anyway…* 

He didn't need to mentally slap himself; his hand did it for him. *God! Did I just think that!? I'm becoming as perverted as Van Fleihight!* Raven growled and pressed the palm of his heel to his forehead, clenching his eyes tightly shut. *Back to your objective, Raven. You've found Van; now think of a way to finish him off using what you know!* He relaxed his form, his hand staying on his head. The grey haired boy stayed there for a long moment as he mulled over different ideas. 

*I can't use the Geno-Breaker; it's still out of commission thanks to that prick. I might be able to do it in direct hand-to-hand combat with him. Ugh! But he's got that knife of his!* Raven paused. *Wait a minute… Where's his Organoid? He should be up there with him, shouldn't he?* He frowned softly. "Come to think of it, he doesn't have his Blade Liger with him either…" The grey haired boy let out a huff of a laugh as the realization hit him. "What luck! I'll bet Van got suspended for trying to take me on by himself; like it was an insane stunt of something!" 

He almost laughed at the idea of Van being completely helpless without either of his Zoids. The maverick was so elated by this that he sprinted from his place, securing the hood of his cloak as he ran with a malicious grin on his face. *Perfect! It's just perfect!* He thought with glee as he leapt from the roof. And he had no idea that he had been seen. 

*** 

Van yawned loudly as he sunk further into the couch, a wisp of a smile playing on his lips as his eyes closed sleepily. It was mid-afternoon on their last day in town and everyone had gone out a while back, leaving Van to sleep the afternoon away. And he had no arguments about that; he'd already spent over half the day in dreamland. The black haired boy sighed contentedly as he felt his body succumbing to sleep. 

He groaned unconsciously and barely opened his eyes again. *Can't fall asleep again…as much as I want to…* Van opened his eyes fully to stare outside. *I'll never hear the end of it if they'd known I'd slept all day…* He smirked to himself, knowing that the others had left him asleep hours before leaving. 

Van sat up slowly and stretched, his back arching as he groaned and failed to suppress a yawn. He wavered on the spot for a moment before yawning again and standing up, heading towards the bathroom for a long hot shower. Van clicked the door shut behind him, starting up the shower before peeling his clothes off and dumping them on the ground. He stuck his hand under the jet of water and hissed, pulling back; it was still cold. The young pilot waited for a moment before trying again, stepping under the stream as the warm flow of water rushed over his tired body. 

Van closed his eyes as he moved his head under the warm jet of water, pulling the band from his hair and throwing it out of the shower. He ran slim fingers through the tangle of black and felt as it fell slick to his scalp, a few strands sticking to his forehead. He opened his mouth and took in a mouthful of water, swallowing the warm liquid down as he stepped back and wiped the water form his eyes, reaching for the soap. 

He worked up a lather in his hands and slowly began to massage his tired muscles, starting at his shoulders and working down his arms. Van closed his eyes and sighed as his soapy hands scrubbed at his chest, working their way down his drenched body. His movements were slow and deep as he massaged his tired body, working at his lower back now. 

His mind wandered as he stood under the hot jet of water; it was always his best place to think. He tilted his head back and opened his eyes slightly, tracing the lines of the ceiling. It had been two days since that first kiss…two days with Irvine…and two days since that damned interruption. He closed his eyes again and stopped to think; what if Fiona and Moonbei hadn't of walked in? What if the two of them were allowed to continue that night? How far would they've gone? The young pilot's thoughts came fast and furiously as he stood under the continuous stream of water. 

Van's stomach muscles clenched and he frowned lightly, releasing a soft groan as a slow ache began to grow in his body. He mentally sighed and shook his head, drops of water flying from his hair. *Hold it right there, Van Fleihight… It's _way _too early on to be even _thinking_ about anything like that!* His body thought otherwise, however, and as soon as those thoughts of that night strayed into his mind, they only served to fuel the fire. He swallowed even as his hands began to slowly snake their way around to his ache. *God… What he's done to me…* 

The door flew open and Van screamed, eyes snapping open as he practically ripped the shower curtain around himself in an attempt to cover up. The blonde girl shrieked and covered her eyes, turning away quickly. 

"_Fiona!!_" Van screamed in shock. The said Zoidian shook her head hastily. 

"I'm so sorry Van! I thought no one was in here!" she cried. Van stared daggers at her. 

"And you didn't hear the shower going!?" he snapped, voice shrill with adrenaline. 

"No! I was thinking of something and got distracted!" She clenched her eyes tight as she fumbled for the doorknob, stepping back outside. "I didn't see anything! I swear!!" She practically slammed the door as she retreated from the bathroom. 

Van breathed hard through clenched teeth, his whole body had tensed up and his knuckles were white from holding the shower curtain so tightly. He sighed shakily and released the sopping material, stepping back under the water as he rinsed his exhausted body. As he turned the water off and stepped out, he reached for a towel and dried himself off fully, rubbing his hair vigorously before securing it with the band again and tying the towel around his waist. 

He opened the door a crack and peered out carefully, not wanting a repeat experience with Fiona. Seeing no one, he quickly scooted to where he'd laid his uniform down the previous night and dressed himself. He breathed a sigh of relief when he had himself fully covered. Van flushed red, hoping that Fiona had been telling the truth about not seeing anything. It could have been worse, his mind instantly reminded him, she could have come in about ten seconds later. 

He snorted. *Yeah, and then try explaining _that _one to her Fleihight…* A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. 

"Van? Is…is it okay to come in now?" It was Fiona again. His face fell and he held back a groan. "Yeah, it's open," he called back. The door opened slowly and Fiona stepped in, a bright shade of red. She clicked the door shut behind her, avoiding Van's eyes. 

"I really am sorry about before, Van…" she whispered. "You know I'd never do anything like that on purpose." He waved her off and smiled at her. "Hey, I know you wouldn't. Just…maybe knock next time, okay?" he chuckled. "I think you scared ten years' growth out of me!" 

She smiled up at him and gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, I guess so…" she trailed off. "Hey, the others are waiting for you in the lobby; they sent me up here to get you." 

Van nodded, biting back the unconscious thought of, "Why not Irvine?" and instead opting for a smile. "Sure thing, just let me find my chain; I left it around here somewhere." He peered around the room and walked over to where he'd fallen asleep on the couch to look for it. Fiona giggled and held out her closed hand to him. 

"You mean this?" Van turned at her words and flashed her a grin as she opened her hand to expose the golden chain. "Hey, thanks Fiona! Where was it?" he asked as he stepped over to her. 

The Zoidian smiled and shook her head. "You took it off when you went to sleep last night, remember? I held on to it because I know that you'd lose it otherwise." She handed it back to him and in the same instance, placed a quick kiss to Van's cheek. The young pilot forced himself not to jump back at the brief contact, blinking at her in surprise when she pulled back. She laughed at his expression and opened the door behind her. 

"Come on, the others are waiting for us," she smiled warmly at him and disappeared through the door. Van blinked at where she had been standing, sighed dejectedly, shook his head and walked out after her. 

*** 

Van's pulse was finally deciding to slow down as he sat down in the back of the Gustav; he'd never been so startled in his life as when Fiona walked in on him. He sighed and leant his head against the cold metal of the Gustav's side, eyes closing slowly. The warmth of the day combined with the loss of adrenaline in his system and the steady roar of the Gustav's engines were beginning to take its toll on Van's weary body. He breathed slowly as he relaxed against the cool metal, slowly warming under his skin. 

He barely heard as Moonbei said something about heading off; his senses taking leave of his body as he slowly succumbed to sleep on the short trip back to the base. 

*** 

Someone was shaking him lightly and he groaned and turned away. He just wanted a few more minutes…just a few more… 

"Van…" a soft voice called to him. "Van, wake up… Van?" The voice was accompanied by another soft shake to his shoulder. The black haired youth groaned again and opened his eyes to stare directly into a bright pair of ruby red ones. 

"Mmmgo 'way…" he mumbled, barely discernable as he turned away and closed his eyes again. "Lemme sleep…little…more…" 

A sweet laugh rang in his ears. "No Van, we're back at the base now. You have to get up now otherwise you'll never hear the end of it from General Harlan," she paused as he opened his eyes to stare at her again. "Did you sleep alright Van?" 

Van rubbed the back of his head as he sat up with a long yawn. "Yeah, I guess so… Why d'you ask?" She smiled at him and shook her head. "Oh, I just figured you were; you were smiling in your sleep and saying something about 'stupid buckle'. Why on Zi would you be dreaming of buckles, Van?" 

The young pilot had to fight back a blush as he laughed it off. "Shoes! It was shoes!" he blurted quickly and laughed louder. "Funny about that, huh? I dreamt of shoes! How bizarre, hey?" He laughed again, longer this time as he silently prayed that Fiona would buy his obviously fake story. 

She stared at him with a quirky smirk on her face before shaking her head and stepping out of the Gustav. "Van Fleihight, you certainly are a strange one…" Van grinned as he followed her out. "Granted." 

Thomas came running up to their little group as they stood there, saluting them quickly. "Morning Van, Moonbei, Irvine, and of course, Miss Fiona. Good to see you're feeling better this time Van." Van sighed and stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

"I'm really sorry about before Thomas. I didn't mean to snap at you so badly; I was just so angry about what happened to Zeek," he smiled sheepishly up at Thomas and extended a hand to him. "Will you accept an apology?" 

The younger Schubaltz blinked at Van before grasping his hand firmly, smile returning once more. "Apology accepted, Van Fleihight," a stern look crossed his features. "The reason I met you out here, besides to see the lovely Miss Fiona again, was to inform you that General Harlan would like to speak with us immediately." 

Van raised an eyebrow. "What for?" Thomas shrugged and shook his head. "Something about a new mission. He said it was kind of urgent." Van frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. *But he's the one who said I couldn't use any Zoid for the next week and a half… I'll just get in Thomas' way…* 

He nodded and smiled at Thomas, saluting him. "Sure thing, let's get going Thomas," he turned to the others and waved as he started walking off backwards. "We'll see you guys later then. Tell me how Zeek's doing when you see Doctor Dee again!" 

Van turned around the right way and stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking silently with Thomas, a smile plastered on his face. It took a few minutes to reach the general's office, due to the numerous amounts of hallways and staircases they had to travel to reach the double doors. 

Thomas knocked and when the general's voice sounded, the two of them stepped in. Thomas cleared his throat and saluted the man, Van doing the same. "You wanted to see us, sir?" 

The general smiled at them and stood up, saluting them before indicating the two chairs in front of his desk. "Yes, I did. Please take a seat." The three of them sat down and the general pushed two folders over to each of them. 

As they thumbed through the documents, he spoke. "There's a bit of a situation in Aran Valley and I want you two to go down there and help out. Normally I wouldn't send just two of my men, but the Empire has also sent down a team." 

Van raised an eyebrow as he stared at a few photos of destroyed houses. "What's the situation there, sir?" 

"About half a week ago, the area was overcome by torrential rains and the whole valley flooded causing extensive damage to the village there, as you can see by the photos in those folders," he paused. "I want the two of you to go down there and lend as much support as you can to the people there. Nearly every home has been destroyed and it's going to take some real time to get even the smallest of shelters up and running." 

Thomas looked up to General Harlan. "Sir, if I may ask, who's leading the Imperial team?" The general smirked at him. "Colonel Karl Schubaltz, lieutenant." 

The blonde man furrowed his brow. "Karl? But why would an elite Imperial soldier be called out for something as small as this? Let alone a team of them." 

General Harlan merely shrugged. "The Empire do as they do and we do as we do; it has been that way since the joining of our two nations. I'm sure Emperor Rudolph has his reasons for sending out the Colonel, and I have my reasons for sending out you two," he smiled at them. "Which leads me to your instructions; you two are to assist the Aran Valley villagers and the Imperial team in the reconstruction of the village. The expected time of completion should be around one week, give or take a day. Lieutenant Schubaltz, I want you to utilise Beek to his full extent out there; show us how good a programmer you really are. Lieutenant Fleihight, I want a detailed report on your progress every two days and a final report on my desk when you return. You depart at thirteen-hundred hours." 

The two members of the Guardian Force stood up and saluted the general. "Consider it done, sir," Thomas said strongly. The two turned to leave until General Harlan called out, "Van, a moment of your time, if I may?" The black haired youth stopped and turned to face him fully. 

"Sir?" he asked, blinking. A lump of fear rose in his throat; what if the general knew about him and Irvine? The general waited until Thomas had left the room before speaking to the young pilot. 

"Just remember Van, your prohibition still stands," he said with a stern edge to his voice. "Don't get tempted out there." Van paused for a moment before nodding and saluting him again, walking out quickly before the man had another chance to stop the teen. He breathed a sigh of relief and leant on the closed doors behind him before he noticed Thomas standing there. The sandy blonde raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?" He asked. 

Van forced a weak laugh and pushed himself upright. "Let me tell you something Thomas," he rested a hand on his shoulder and grinned at him. "Never cross that guy… It's not worth your health." He laughed at Thomas' expression and walked off to pack his things for the mission. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Irvine: What? What are you doing??  
Chan: *innocently* What do you mean?  
Irvine: You're taking away my Van! That's what!!  
Chan: Oh, come now! It's only for one week! You'll get another chance to jump each other soon enough!  
Irvine: I nev- *eyes light up* …what? You promise?  
Chan: Cross my heart, Irvy…  
Van: *coming to* Wha… Itai, my head…  
*Chan + Irvine violently glomp poor Van*  
Van: WAAAAH!!! Geddoff!!  



	6. The Mission or I'll Stay With You

Hee hee!! I'm so happy: I got a new Zoid to play with. It's da Venomous Viper and I love him soooo much!! Yeah, *cough* after that short interlude, I'm now sane once more and back for another dose of Van + Irvine lur~vin! Wai!! I'm a total sucker for this story now, though I did have a kinda hard part writing one bit (I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop laughing at the 'scent of vanilla' scene. I had to leave it for a few hours and even now I can't help but snigger at it - you'll find it if your read it. Yep, shameless plug for my ficcy). Apart from that, I'm liking this chappie reeeeeal goooood... ^_^  
Response time-ies, and let's start off with Maelgwyn: Ooh, you naughty thing you! Monage-e-twoi? Kinky! I'll have to consider something like that! ^_~ Ninetails: Hee hee...I like the bedroom scene too ^_^ And ya, Fiona is a perv and Raven is a snoop (but he's a cute snoop!). Naomi Hunter: It's freezing here too. Coincidence?? @_@;; Bah, I find it easy to write homophobic charas coz all my friends are homophobes (close-minded pricks...). Meh, but how could Raven be anything else _but _sexily evil?? 

Disclaimer: I would like to own Zoids and all that jazz but I can't because most people are homophobic and I would only totally screw with everyone's heads. 

Warnings: Aww... Time for some cute moments with some sweet V+I sappy goodness! Hee hee... And just _who is _the bigger tease?? ^_~ 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part six 

The Mission or I'll Stay With You 

  
  


"So, that's it? You have to leave this afternoon?" Irvine pressed as he stood in Van's quarters, the door closed behind him as he watched Van throw some clothes into a duffel bag. The black haired youth turned to smile warmly at him, stopping what he was doing and walking over to him to wrap his arms around his waist. 

"Irvine, I have to go," Van reasoned with him softly as Irvine's arms encircled him. "It's a direct order from General Harlan and besides, there's a lot of people who got hurt down there. I can't just ignore that." He placed a hand softly on Irvine's cheek. "It's only one week. I promise that as soon as this mission is over, we're going to spend some good quality time with each other, all right? We'll do whatever you want." 

Irvine smiled down at him and hugged him closer as he felt Van snuggling into his neck. "Well…if it's only for one week. But I want you to send me at least one message while you're away, you got that?" Van chuckled, a muffled sound. 

"I'll send you at least _three_, how about that?" he breathed, grazing his lips across the warm skin of Irvine's neck. The bounty hunter closed his eyes at the touch and failed to stop the soft moan that slipped past his lips. Van smirked and pressed his lips to his neck, sucking gently as he slowly devoured the taste of Irvine under his tongue. 

"Van…ahh!" Irvine moaned as Van bit down softly, the teen's hand reaching up to tilt Irvine's head down as he pulled back. The two locked lips instantly and Van moaned, knotting his fingers in Irvine's hair. Van pulled back suddenly, a hairs breadth away with his eyes half closed. He smirked at the bounty hunter. 

"Mmm…I'm going to miss that…" he breathed. Irvine smiled and ran a finger along Van's jaw line. "Tease…" The black haired pilot mock-laughed, his warm breath sweeping over Irvine's lips. "Me? A tease? Why on Zi would you even think such a thing?" 

Irvine smirked and laced his fingers through Van's, freeing the teen's hand from his hair. "Because you are and you know it, Van Fleihight," he purred, placing soft kisses over Van's cheek. The young pilot moaned, gasping out, "And you're not?" Irvine chuckled in his throat, whispering, "Not nearly as much as you." 

Van pulled back suddenly and locked his ebony eyes onto Irvine's soft mauve ones. A wisp of a hungry smile played on his lips. "Then prove it…" 

Irvine smiled at him and, in a move that completely shattered the mood, ruffled Van's hair quickly. The young pilot cried out in surprise. "Well, I'd love to 'prove it' Van, but it's nearly one and you have a mission to go to." Van pouted and frowned at Irvine. 

"Aww…you're no fun…" he breathed. The bounty hunter smiled warmly at him and turned him around by his shoulders, pushing him forward towards his bag as he opened up the door. Van took the hint and crouched down to scoop up his possessions. "Yeah, I know; I'm a cynical old wart. But you have no idea how cute you look when you pout." 

Van flushed red as he crouched there. He swallowed and stood up again, turning to stare wide-eyed at Irvine. "Come again?" he squeaked. Irvine laughed at him. "You heard me. Now rack off before Harlan boils you alive." He jabbed a thumb at the door as he stepped over to him, pulling him through the door before the young pilot had a chance to blink. Van turned around and stammered a protest when the door slammed in front of his nose. 

"Hey! You can't just lock me out of my own room!" He yelled to the door. "Irvine! Hey cut it out and open up! Irvine!!" He sighed in exasperation. "Fine! See if I-" the door abruptly swung open and before Van had a chance to breath, Irvine's hands had cupped his face and pulled him close for a breath-stealing kiss. Van squeaked in surprise as his eyes went wide with shock. Irvine pulled back all too soon for Van's liking and the young pilot just blinked at him in silent shock. The bounty hunter smirked at his expression. 

"You shriek worse than a banshee on a windy night, Van," he whispered. "I had to do _something _to shut you up…" 

Van's mind was still unable to form coherent thought for a moment before it snapped into action again and he glared at Irvine. "Listen you, just because you're older than me _and _taller than me doesn't give you the right to-" he was silenced once again by Irvine, who pressed his lips to Van's. The black haired youth resisted for a moment before his numb mind allowed his hand to glide up to the back of Irvine's neck, rubbing the soft skin gently. Van suddenly pulled back and stared at the bounty hunter with one eyebrow raised. 

"And you say _I'm _a tease?" he asked, incredulous. Irvine just laughed at him and rubbed his cheek affectionately. "You are, now go," he smiled warmly at him, all humour gone from his face. "I'll be waiting for you, so don't go getting yourself killed or anything stupid like that." 

Van smiled back at him and nodded. "I won't… Promise…" he stepped back and waved at Irvine as he walked off backwards. 

"Tell me how Zeek's doing too, would you?" he called. Irvine nodded. "You got it Van." The black haired youth grinned and turned around fully, walking quickly away before his body had any say in the matter. 

Irvine watched him go, leaning against the door frame and folding his arms across his chest, a warm smile forming over his face. 

*** 

Over the course of the next few days, no serious incidents were reported to the Keron Base. Van and Thomas had almost finished their work at Aran Valley and were almost ready to return to base. Fiona had called Van excitedly to tell him that Zeek would be fully recovered sooner than expected and the young pilot was so elated by this that he had to strongly resist the urge to swipe the nearest Zoid and streak back to the base. 

Irvine had been the first one to send a message that Van received directly after the transmission about Zeek, which put him on cloud nine. He was so happy that day he even hugged Thomas fiercely, which startled the sandy blonde to no end. Other than that one burst of energy, the end of most days saw Van collapsing onto his bed, waking stiff and sore the next morning. 

It was on the sixth day that Van sat down to send off his periodical report to General Harlan that he noticed he had a new message. He raised an eyebrow before realization set in and a broad grin crept over his face. He clicked it open and quickly scanned the text. 

_Hey Van, _

The General's still being a hard-ass as always; won't let me join any scouting groups because it's some BS about not being in the military. Bastard. The man has no idea how boring it is just sitting here and waiting for you. Doctor Dee is out for your blood – he's seriously pissed at the condition you put the Liger in and says he's going to take it out on you when you return. 

Fiona's still watching over Zeek. She says he's doing just fine and it should be around ten days before he's allowed out of the pod. 

…I'm missing you heaps Van. 

Irvine 

Van smiled warmly when he reached the end of the message. He sat there and ignored the rest of the message, his eyes only seeing those five words at the end. The young pilot decided to send a quick reply before transmitting General Harlan his report. 

_Irvine, _

It figures General Harlan would be like that, but then again, he's always been like that, all through my training. You just have to learn not to piss the guy off. 

So Doctor Dee wants to kill me, eh? Nothing unusual there; he couldn't stand the way I treated the Liger right after he'd fixed it last time either. I can't wait for another lap around the base; it's great exercise. 

Speaking of exercise, I've been so exhausted the last few days. I mean, I know I've got a good level of stamina and everything, but rebuilding an entire village really takes it out of you! 

It's great to hear about Zeek. I can't wait to see him again. I still feel like it's my fault though and no Irvine, you won't be able to hug me and yell at me enough to get that out of my system. 

I'm missing you too Irvine, but that'll be remedied within the next twenty-four hours. I'm returning to the base at around six tomorrow, and we're still going to do whatever you want afterwards. 

Van 

Happy with his reply, Van sent it off with a smirk. He sat there and leant back in his chair, pushing it back on two legs with his arms folded behind his head. The young pilot stared at the roof of his temporary room for a long while before giving a prolonged yawn. He sighed and sat forward with a thud; sleep would have to come later, he thought and began work on his report. 

*** 

Van arched his back and yawned loudly, scratching his stomach as it grumbled loudly. He frowned down at it and stared out of the D-Bison's cockpit. He and Thomas had begun their journey back to Keron Base and Van had just awoken from a short nap in the back seat. He leant forward and rested an arm on Thomas' seat. 

"Hey Thomas, how far is there to go now?" Van asked sleepily. 

The younger Schubaltz shrugged. "I'm not sure; though I'd say not far. Beek, what's the exact distance?" The system whistled and clicked at Thomas for a long while and he smirked. "Don't be such a smart-mouth. Beek says it's still around thirty clicks south-west." 

Van sighed and slumped back into his seat. "Thanks, that'll give me enough time to get some more sleep…" he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Thomas frowned at him while staring at the land ahead. "Are you feeling okay Van?" 

"Why do you ask?" he asked after a moment. Thomas rolled his eyes. "Because a member of the Guardian Force shouldn't be _this _tired after a simple mission, that's why!" Van smirked at him and punched the back of his seat playfully. "Shut it Thomas, I heard you yawning before. I guess I haven't been getting much sleep lately; what with getting up early and turning in so late for the past week. It's playing hell with my body clock." 

Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should head to the infirmary when we get back to base." Van gave an exasperated sigh. "Thomas, I'm tired not sick! The only thing that'll fix it is some more sleep." The younger Schubaltz shrugged. "Probably, but it could be something else. Didn't the doctor say you took a bad hit to the head after the battle with Raven? It could be that," he suggested. 

Van shrugged and stared outside again. "With me, anything's possible Thomas. I'm still alive when I should have died hundreds of times in battle; something's bound to happen to me sooner or later." 

Thomas chuckled but otherwise stayed silent. Van paused as if expecting some sort of response from the other lieutenant but shook his head when he heard none. He stared sleepily out of the D-Bison as the Zoid ran back to the base, watching as the landscape around them changed from one of lush oasis to scorching desert in a matter of minutes. 

He sighed, a whisper of a smile forming on his lips. *Soon… I'll be back to him soon…* A flash of movement in the distance made him frown and sit up. "Hey Thomas, scan for something out there." Thomas raised an eyebrow. "What 'something' Van?" 

"I just saw something out there, that's all," Van explained. "Could just be an animal or something though…" The sandy blonde lieutenant snorted. "Yeah, or it could be that you need some sleep. You're probably just seeing things you're so tired." Van groaned in annoyance. "I'm positive I saw something, Thomas," he pressed. 

The younger Schubaltz gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll run a scan on the surrounding area. But don't blame me if there's nothing out there." He flicked a series of switches and turned to give Van a wide grin. "See? There's nothing out there, you paranoid idiot. Are you happy now?" 

Van nodded and said his thanks, but he was still convinced he saw something. He frowned and let his body relax again, telling himself that it was just some sort of mirage because he was so tired. *Even if it _was _something, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it because you're in Thomas' Zoid plus he probably wouldn't let you chase after whatever it is…* Van sighed and closed his eyes. *It was probably just some kid on a hover board anyway. Thomas is right; I'm getting paranoid because of no sleep…* He smirked to himself for the remainder of the trip. 

*** 

Van leapt from the cockpit of the large D-Bison, landing heavily in a crouch before standing up and waving at his friends. 

"Hey everyone, did you miss us?" he asked with a laugh. Fiona ran up to him and hugged him tightly around the neck. She laughed while she released him. "Silly, of course we did! Thomas; I'm so glad to see you too!" 

The sandy blonde flushed red and instantly sprouted a goofy grin. "You are? Really? Oh Miss Fiona, it's so good to see you too! I've missed you terribly!" He outstretched his arms to her and she giggled, hugging him quickly. His legs nearly collapsed under him when she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. 

Moonbei laughed and turned to Van. "So Van, how're you holding out?" The black haired youth raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about Moonbei?" She rolled her eyes. "Duh, your prohibition! Or have you forgotten about that teensy little thing?" 

Van smiled at her. "I haven't forgotten, trust me," he sighed and stared longingly up at his Liger. "But all in all…I think it's done me some good. It was so stupid of me to go after Raven on my own, and I've learnt from that mistake now," he chuckled. "Not only do you end up nearly dead, but so does your Zoid… Aw hell…" his face fell and he turned worried eyes to Moonbei. "Um, where's the doc?" 

Moonbei sidled up to him with a malicious smirk. "What's the matter Van? Scared of old Doctor Dee for some reason?" she crooned. Van swallowed. "You could say that… Has he mentioned anything about me or the Liger lately?" 

"Oh he may have said _something _about it…" she waved her hand for effect. Van groaned before it hit him. "Hey, where's Irvine? Shouldn't he be out here too?" Fiona stepped forward. "Van, he said he'd be back later tonight sometime. He said he had to go into town for something." 

Van frowned, silently pouting. He was a little hurt that Irvine didn't wait to see him before leaving, but he managed to push it aside, turning to Thomas. "Hey Thomas, I have to go deliver my report to General Harlan; want me to drop of yours as well?" 

The younger Schubaltz nodded and handed him the disk. "Sure thing Van; that is, if you're offering." Van pocketed the disk and turned to the others, stifling a yawn. "Man I'm beat… I think I'll turn in after this guys; g'night everyone." Not waiting for a reply, Van walked off in the direction of Harlan's office. 

*** 

Raven's smirk twisted cruelly as he pulled his fist from the clerk's body, listening as the lifeless form hit the floor with a dull thud. He glanced around cautiously and shook his head, his smirk forming into a wicked grin. 

*Robbing these people was probably a bold move considering I'm a wanted man, but I really _did _need these parts…* he turned to scoop up his prize, looking over at his Organoid. "Shadow! Let's get a move on!" he snipped and the two fled the silent store. 

Raven turned to the black Zoid as they ran, a wicked smile curling his lips. "You can take the next one, I promise. You're probably getting bored without any fun, aren't you?" The Organoid snarled something incoherent and Raven just laughed as they ran. 

*One more part… I just need one more fitting for the left leg and it's done…* Raven leapt onto his hidden hover board and sped off. *You're going to be mine, Van Fleihight…* 

*** 

Van yawned loudly as he rounded the corridor. He'd delivered the reports to the good general and was now heading to his quarters for some well-earned rest. He was having a hard enough time trying to walk straight let alone notice that someone was following him. 

A hand fell to his shoulder and he whirled around, heart pounding. He let out a short hiss and relaxed. "Fiona! You scared the life out of me!" She giggled at him. "I'm sorry Van; it seems I have a knack for doing that to you lately." 

He sighed and wished his pulse to return to normal. "Well at least I'm awake now…" he breathed, smiling up at her. "What's up Fiona?" She looked down and toed the ground nervously. 

"Well I…" she stared up at him with a cute blush tinting her cheeks. "I was wondering Van… Would you – that is if you're not doing anything; would you like…to have dinner with me tomorrow? You know…to sort of make up for, well, when I…" she fumbled for a word, waving her hands about, "...scared you...at Keron Colony." 

Van was taken aback by her request, and he blinked at her for a moment before his face softened and he nodded. "Sure thing Fiona; that'd be great." Her face slowly broke out into a warm smile and she hugged him tightly. 

"Thank you so much Van!" the Zoidian laughed as she pulled back. "I can't wait until tomorrow! Oh, and I'll be around at about seven, so be ready, alright?" Van nodded and smiled at her. "I will, don't worry." She giggled again and kissed him on the cheek, running off with a final "Thank you Van!" 

He smiled as he watched her go. *Aw come on…she's not all _that _bad…* he mentally sighed. *But how's she going to take it when you tell her about you and Irvine?* His face fell and he shook his head, walking back to his quarters. 

The young pilot pushed open his door and stepped inside, not bothering with the light as he closed the door behind him and leant up against it; the pale moonlight washing softly in from his window was giving his room enough light. Van took in a deep breath and sighed for a long moment, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to rest on the cool metal of his door. He frowned suddenly and opened his eyes again, looking around in the darkness. 

Something, he couldn't put his finger on it, was out of place. He took a tentative step forward and peered into the darkness with an ebony gaze. Van took another step and froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He swore he just heard breathing from somewhere in the room. 

Before he had a chance to react, someone had grabbed him from behind, holding his arms tight with one arm while the other hand clamped over his mouth, causing him to squeak embarrassingly in shock. Van's eyes shot wide and he was just about to bite whomever it was when warm breath tickled his ear and a familiar voice whispered, "Boo…" 

Van's eyebrows shot up as far as they could go and he froze as his attacker relaxed. He turned around in his arms; mouth still covered by one hand as he saw a familiar face smiling down at him. Still in a confused shock, he tried to say "Irvine?" but it came out more of a muffled sound than anything coherent. The bounty hunter chuckled softly at him and took his hand away. 

"Hey Van…" he barely had a chance to whisper before the young pilot crushed his lips to his in a searing kiss, more out of need than anything else. They stayed in each other's arms, locked together for a long moment before Van pulled back a hairs breadth, one hand having snaked its way up to cup Irvine's cheek, and whispered, "I missed you so much…" Irvine was about to reply when he saw Van's confused expression in the soft moonlight. "But…Fiona said you went into town…" 

Irvine smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "Idiot Van… I told her that so I could surprise you here. Van sported a large grin as he stared up at Irvine, both arms encircling the bounty hunter's waist. "Well, it worked," he laughed. "Not to mention you scared six years growth out of me! It's like everyone wants to do that to me lately!" 

The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow. "'Everyone?' Who else has been scaring you senseless?" Van poked him playfully in the ribs. "Fiona got me really good while we were in Keron Colony, and again just before I got here." Irvine nodded. "I thought you looked a bit tired. Adrenaline rush, huh?" 

Van grinned and failed to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, and it's starting to take its toll on me… Man I'm beat…" Irvine smiled down at him. "Then maybe you should get some sleep Van." The teen shook his head vehemently. 

"No way, not a chance!" he stared up at Irvine with longing. "I've been without you for a week and that was bad enough! I don't need sleep; not just yet; not while you're still here…" his voice finished in a whisper as he nestled his head on Irvine's chest. "Just…would you please stay…just a bit longer…" 

Irvine barely hesitated before he hugged Van closer and smiled warmly down at him. He kissed his hair softly and closed his eyes, resting his lips against the soft tresses. "Of course I'll stay Van…" he breathed, inhaling the soft scent of vanilla that was Van. "I missed you…" he paused and chuckled quietly which was enough to catch Van's attention. 

"What's so funny?" he asked, brow furrowing in questioning. Irvine smiled and relaxed against Van. "We've only been together for three days, apart for seven and we're saying we missed each other so much… It just sounds funny to me; we've spent more time apart than with each other." Van shrugged and pulled Irvine closer. "We're together now; that's all that matters…" 

The black haired youth stepped back and pulled Irvine with him, sitting down on his bed and inviting the bounty hunter to do the same. Irvine sat next to him with a smile as Van slid further back; spine curving against the wall as he drew his knees up to his chest. The two stared deeply at each other, simply smiling and saying nothing for a long moment; the only sound in the room coming from their soft breathing. 

"Irvine…" Van whispered. The bounty hunter shifted from his sleepy stupor. "Mmm?" he replied softly. Van shifted in his spot and moved his legs forward slightly. "Do you…do you remember what you told me here that first day?" Irvine paused for a moment and leant back against the wall as well. "Not clearly; refresh my memory." 

Van smiled warmly at Irvine and gazed down at the sheets. "Before we left, you told me 'confronting what's inside of you will ultimately lead you to understanding yourself better'. I understand what you meant by that now," he paused to look up at Irvine with a look of pure love in his eyes. "I understand that I couldn't live a single day without you…" 

Irvine's expression softened and he smiled warmly back at the young pilot. "Van…" he breathed, voice pulled with emotion. The black haired teen sidled slowly over to him and reached up to his face, gently lifting Irvine's eyepiece off. He followed through by running his fingers through his hair, taking his headband with it. He smiled as he dropped them on the bed, gazing at both of Irvine's mauve eyes as he cupped his face softly. 

"There…" he whispered. "Much better…" Van felt as Irvine traced his thumb over his cheek affectionately and he closed his eyes against the touch, unconsciously leaning into it. He sighed contentedly and opened his eyes to gaze longingly up at Irvine. The young pilot's smile grew and he cocked his head to the side with a cute smirk as he drew one hand away and patted the sheets. "Spend the night with me?" he asked softly. 

Irvine paused for the briefest of moments to stare down at his partner; the one he now loved with all of his heart. True, they had spent more time apart than with each other, but at the moment it didn't matter to either of them; all they saw was each other. The bounty hunter smiled warmly at Van; the youngest member of the military; of the Guardian Force, and his smile grew. And himself, he thought, nothing more than a common thief and a criminal; only ever in it for the money and the hidden glory. The most unlikely pairing to ever hit planet Zi and they were living for every second of it. 

"I will Van…" Irvine breathed softly. "I'll stay with you…" Van laid back and Irvine leaned forward in perfect synchronism; the young pilot breathing out softly as he nestled onto his side with Irvine snuggled into his back, wrapping his arms around him. The black haired youth sighed contentedly to himself as his felt his eyelids getting heavy; a smile on his face and on his heart. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Van: *hiding in the bushes* I shoulda stayed zonked out...  
*Irvine and Chan run past and he ducks down*  
Van: Now they're _both _after my butt... *sigh*  
Chan: WA~AH!!! Found you Van!!  
*Van screams and runs off only to run smack into Irvine*  
Van: Iieee!! Save me!!  
Irvine: Fear not fair maiden, for I shall protect you!!  
Van: Fair maiden?  
Irvine: *shrugs* No beast nor Chan shall harm you while I stand in their way!!  
*Chan glares at Irvine and flicks a fireball at him*  
Irvine: WAAAH!!! It burns!! *runs off*  
Van: *glares at disappearing Irvine* Protect me huh... No harm huh... Riiiiiight...  
Chan: Oo~oh Va~an...  
Van: Eep... 


	7. Fight Clu er, Training!

Wa~ai! I'm back to fack up the lives of those loveable pilots! Extend my ego and review!! =^_^= Hee hee!! I'm so totally hyper right now; I just finished building my new Zoid (yep, anover one) that I got for Chrissy; it's da Killerdome and and wuv him go~od... Wah, that and I'm in the process of doing my first Irvine/Van piccie; it's so sweet and when I get a new website, I'll put it up. In the meantime, I'm happy to know that I'm still one of the only people in the Irvine/Van fic writing business! ^_^ 

Disclaimer: *sings and dances* I don't own Zoids, but I wanna! I don't own Zoids, but I wanna! I don't own Zoids, but I wanna! And that's just the way the shrub grows! HEY!! 

Warnings: Wah, nothing really decent to mention in this chapter (ta~ame...), 'cept Irvy + Van showing off their fighting skills (I figured since Irvine is a bounty hunter and Van is in the military, they'd both know *something* about fighting!). 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part seven 

Fight Clu- er, Training! 

  
  


Sunlight, warm and obtrusive, had not yet reached the sleeping face of Van Fleihight as he lay peacefully. This, however, did not stop him from blocking out the sounds of the waking base outside his door and he opened his eyes with a groan. He stared hatefully at his door for a few seconds until he turned over, intent on burying his head on Irvine's chest and returning to dreamland. That was his plan, until his nose came in contact with a piece of paper that lay on the end of his pillow. 

He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, noticing instantly that he was alone, not only in his bed but in his room. "Wha… Irvine?" he whispered sleepily and reached up to rub his neck. He was tremendously sore and he released a low hiss of pain when he twisted his head around. Van's eyes snapped open; his hair was undone, when did that happen? He flushed red and blinked in shock; Irvine must have taken his hair band out. 

Van suddenly felt very embarrassed as he curled his legs up to sit crossed-legged under the covers; Irvine had seen him with his hair out. No one had ever seen him with his hair out, not since he was still living in the Wind Colony; even then anyone was hard pressed to see the boy with his hair unbound. 

The young pilot quickly fumbled in his bedside table drawer for another band as his eyes fell on the piece of paper. He blinked and raised an eyebrow as he tied his hair back quickly, scanning the page and following the curvy flow of Irvine's handwriting. 

_Dear Van _

You sleep worse than a rock.   
I'll see you today during your thing with the new recruits. Don't give yourself a heart attack before I get there. 

Love, 

Irvine 

P.S: You should leave your hair out more often; it suits you. 

Van blinked in silent shock as he picked up the piece of paper, looking at it closely as a hot blush crept over his face. *Leave my… It suits me!?* He gave a short laugh and shook his head. 

"Irvine…always one to speak his mind…" He chuckled again and got out of bed, getting ready for another day of work in the Guardian Force. 

*** 

"What? You're sure of this?" The blue haired girl pressed. Her eyes were wide in shock at the tale she had just heard and her hands were pressed flat to the table as she stood there. Reese, the ancient Zoidian and controller of the blue Organoid Specular, stood before the wild maverick Raven, with only a table to separate them. 

The grey haired teen nodded as he continued to stare away from her incredulous gaze. Her eyes…they were like cold pits of nothingness to him. They haunted him to no end, but there was no way he'd ever let anyone know that. The dim lamp sitting on the table only added to the eerie glow of her aqua eyes. His face set to a frown and he stared back at her. 

"I told you, I saw it with my own two eyes Reese," he calmly explained to her and turned away again. "Van and that bounty hunter are together…" he whispered. He suppressed a shiver and bit back the nausea that boiled in his stomach at the thought of what he saw that night. "It sickens me…" he whispered. 

Reese raised an eyebrow and sat down in a flop. "Do you really hate the thought of them together that much?" She smirked coyly at him. "Or could it be that you're jea-lous?" she finished in a sing-songy voice and leant forward to gaze at him. 

Raven snapped his head around to glare venom at her. "You're just as perverted as they are!!" he snapped loudly at her. He'd raised his voice so much that Shadow poked his head around the corner of the cave they inhabited. "It's nothing Shadow. Just…go keep watch with Specular." He strained a sigh and forced his body to relax again. "I have to use this to get back at Van… I have to…" he pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead, clenching his eyes tight as he strained for an idea. "But how…?" 

He heard the scrape of a chair being pushed back and a moment later he felt cool hands pressing onto his shoulders. He growled and frowned harder as he heard a chuckle escape Reese's lips. She began to massage his shoulders softly. 

"You need to loosen up Raven; you're too tensed up all the time," she bent forward to whisper in his ear, "and that's a bad thing if you're trying to come up with an evil plan." He turned his head to gaze up at her. "What would _you _know about evil plans? All you ever do is follow Hiltz around like his personal plaything, doing all _his _dirty work." She scowled down at him and straightened, fingers digging in harder as she glowered at the cave wall. Raven smirked to himself; he'd won their little verbal bout. 

Reese suddenly stopped. "How about this Raven? You said you wanted to repay Van so why not kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." The grey haired boy frowned. "What are you up to Reese?" She giggled shrilly, the sound echoing off the cave walls. "If Van and Irvine do care so deeply for one another, then why not lure one of them out using the other as bait?" 

Raven frowned. "No, I don't think so. What would that accomplish anyway? I want Van, not that ridiculous bounty hunter." He snorted and rested his arm on the table. "Besides, he's not as annoying as Van…" The Zoidian girl giggled and leant down next to his ear. "Ah Raven… But just _imagine _the possibilities…" she breathed. 

Raven gasped as a series of images hit him and he jumped from his seat to glare death at Reese. "Never do that to me again Reese!! I don't care if you were trying to help me; _never _go inside my head like that _ever _again!" She smiled sweetly at him, one hand reaching up to trace a finger over her lips. "Oh but Raven, it's not my fault you left yourself vulnerable to my psycho-wave. And surely you must have seen something you liked…" 

The maverick paused at her voice as his mind hit rewind; going over the different sequences that Reese had planted in his head. His eyes widened and he turned to stare at Reese who simply smiled at him. 

"_Now _you see…" she whispered. 

*** 

Van stood at attention as General Harlan stood next to him; a handful of trainee soldiers in front of them both. The general paced back and forth as he instructed the would-be soldiers on their latest training in the underground gymnasium of the base. 

"While you are all training your minds to be Zoid pilots for the Republican Army, you must not forget that your body must be equally trained. That is why you are in here today. You are all physically capable of defending yourselves in a fight; but only if you defend." He turned his head to note Van briefly. "The lieutenant here will be training you in basic fighting. Listen to him and you might learn something." He saluted them and they all returned the gesture. "Good luck soldiers." 

With that, General Harlan turned and left the room briskly, leaving only Van and the new recruits. When they were alone, one of them snorted and chuckled loudly. "What? Learn something from _this _kid? He's barely over fifteen!" The redhead placed his hands on his hips and stared down at Van, a sneer on his face. "And why would the General wish us good luck against _him_? I mean-" 

The soldier was cut short as his legs were knocked out from under him in a flash of movement. Van resumed his pose and took in a deep breath as the other soldiers stared up at him in silence. He smirked at the redhead as he addressed the others. 

"Now then," he began, folding his arms across his chest. "Did anyone see what I did just then?" There was silence for a very long moment before a soldier in the back spoke up. "You knocked him down, sir." Van nodded. "Exactly, and how did I do that?" Another one, "By being faster than him and having the element of surprise, sir." 

"Very good," Van dropped his arms to his sides and stepped forward, extending a hand to the fallen soldier and helping him stand up. "By the way, soldier; this 'kid's' name is Van Fleihight." The soldier's eyes went wide as his mouth did an impressive impersonation of a goldfish. 

"L-Lieutenant Fleihight!" He stammered. "I- Forgive me sir! I didn't know-!" Van raised a hand to silence him. "It's not important. Just don't let the General know about this little thing and it'll be fine," he turned to the others. "Right! Let's begin with some basic stretches!" 

*** 

"It's taken the better half of the day, but I think they're finally starting to get it," Doctor Dee commented from the observation window of the gymnasium; coffee cup in hand. Moonbei stood with him as they watched Van and the new recruits. While the air conditioning was flowing through the gym room, it still didn't stop Van from removing his shirt in the heat of the fighting; sweat trailing from every part of his body. 

Moonbei nodded in agreement. "I'll say, you'd think guys would be a natural at fighting but not these planks of wood for some strange reason!" She smiled as she watched the soldiers lined up against the wall, most without their shirts on either. *Rowr… Down Moonbei!* she giggled to herself. 

"Too bad though," the doctor mused aimlessly. Moonbei turned to him. "What's that?" He took a long draught from his cup. "I mean Van's a great fighter, a great pilot and an even better person. Too bad I have to kill him at such a young age…" Moonbei raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing. 

Down in the gymnasium, Van stood in front of the other soldiers and frowned as he stared at his watch. *Where is that lazy bum… I've got a good mind to-* he smirked as the door was pushed open and Irvine strode quickly inside, stopping next to Van. He grinned sheepishly at Van and rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Heh, sorry I'm late but I had a real problem with Thomas and he just wouldn't shut up!" Irvine cast a quick glance over the soldiers. "So, these are the would-be soldiers, huh Van?" he whispered. Van nodded. "Yeah, more or less. Thick as Gustav armour though," he whispered a reply. Irvine grinned and shook his head with a sigh. "Where _do _you pick these people up Fleihight?" 

"I could ask you the same thing…" he turned to the soldiers. "All right, this here is Irvine. He knows just as much as me and we're going to be showing you some advanced techniques," he paused as Irvine started stretching behind him. "Quick warning: don't go trying this unless you know what you're doing." 

Irvine finished up after a while and the two stood at opposite ends of the large square mat on the ground; arms raised in a fighting stance. They stared deeply at each other, focus swimming in their gaze as they slowly edged towards one another until they were separated by only two strides. 

Irvine released a yell and flew at Van, palm outstretched. Van caught the direction of the move and he ducked backwards, countering sharply with a punch of his own. It caught Irvine hard in the jaw and he jumped back, fingering the spot gently. A smirk grew over his face and he raised an eyebrow at the young pilot who merely returned the look with his own smugness. 

Irvine had the jump to avoid a low kick to the knees and landed hard, ducking instantly as Van performed a jumping roundhouse kick that swished by his head. The black haired youth followed through by leaping over him and as Irvine ducked, he landed on his hands behind him and sprang backwards in an attempt to mule kick him. Irvine twisted around and caught his leg, throwing him over his shoulder. 

The bounty hunter jumped back before Van flipped himself up. Irvine jumped at Van who raised his right leg for a side kick. He caught him hard, square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He then followed by punching the bounty hunter full in the chest, knocking him backwards. Irvine regained his stance and glared hard at Van, breath escaping him in a low hiss. 

*Shit, he's improved!* He barely had a chance to think before Van was on him again. Van pushed the bounty hunter further back with a series of punches before Irvine caught his fist and shoved him back hard, breathing hard. Irvine smirked and lunged at him again. 

A punch to the head was deflected at the same moment a kick to his ribs was blocked. Van's legs fell out under him and he caught himself just in time to deliver a sweeping kick to the bounty hunter's ankles, knocking him down also. The two stood back up and breathed hard. Van laughed and, breathing hard, turned to the soldiers who were all staring wide-eyes at the two. 

"And that," he breathed with a relieved smile. "Is today's lesson on basic fighting. I hope you all enjoyed the hard work you put in and the bonus demonstration." The soldiers all snapped out of their stupors instantly, realising at once that the fight was over, and they clapped loudly at the two. Irvine grinned as he stood next to Van, slinging one arm around his slim shoulders. "Heh, they love us," he whispered, still out of breath. 

Van laughed as the soldiers finally stopped their applauding and began to file out slowly, a few of them lingering to ask the two a few questions. After the last of the new recruits had left, Van turned to Irvine and smiled. "You were pretty good just now. I thought you'd have given up fighting a long time ago." He laughed to himself. 

Irvine shrugged. "Someone has to keep up with you, and that's no mean feat. You've improved a lot more since last time we fought like that." Van beamed up at him. "You think so? I was just thinking about how you beat me so badly last time, that's all." Irvine shook his head before flapping the front of his overalls around in a vain attempt to cool off. Van shot him a wicked grin. 

"If you're hot, then why don't you take them off?" he suggested slyly. Irvine smirked back at him. "No Van, none of that here. I don't think Moonbei and Doctor Dee want to see _that _sort of show." Van's eyebrows shot up as far as they could go and his expression dissipated. "What? Where are they?" 

Irvine chuckled and pointed up to the observation window; Van staring up at the broad glass panel. Moonbei waved down happily at them and Van waved back before he caught the look Doctor Dee was throwing him. He swallowed hard and turned to stare at the open door nervously before turning back to Irvine. 

"I think I'll go hit the showers," he said with a weak laugh. "I'd like to be clean before my funeral…" Irvine just laughed at him and waved up at the two as they left the gymnasium together. 

*** 

Van stepped out of the shower room, sighing as he rounded the corner, feeling tired once more. He groaned and rubbed the back of his neck; it was still stiff from that morning when he'd woken up and it was starting to ache badly. 

*Maybe I _should _take Thomas' advice and go see the doctor… This is pretty bad; even for me…* He was so caught up in his neck that he didn't realise he'd walked into someone until his face collided with their chest. He reeled back quickly. 

"Sorry! I didn't see-" he froze as he stood face to face with Doctor Dee. Van forced a weak laugh. "Uh, hey doc! How's it going?" The doctor 'hmphed' and walked off, beckoning Van to follow. The black haired youth swallowed hard and followed reluctantly. The doctor led Van to the main hanger for the base's Zoids. He stopped in front of the teen's Liger and turned to Van who merely tried to avoid his gaze by staring up at the blue Liger. 

"Well I hope you're happy now," the doctor snipped. "The Liger's been completely repaired and your prohibition ends in three days. Of course," he paused as Van turned to look at him. "You're not going to go and nearly blow it up again, are you?" 

Van looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry doc, I never meant to put you in this type of situation. And I _am _grateful that you've repaired my Liger; really…" he looked up hopefully at the silently enraged Doctor Dee. 

"If you're so grateful then don't go and screw it up again!" he yelled suddenly, causing Van to jump slightly. "Listen Van, I'm a scientist; not a god-forsaken miracle worker! I can only repair the Blade Liger so much before it becomes unfixable without Zeek's help." He gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "Dammit Van, I knew you meant well when you tried to take down Raven; and you've succeeded god knows how many times before when he was in his Geno-Saurer and other Zoids…" he paused to take a breath. "But this time was just stupid… You in the Blade Liger against the Geno-Breaker. The _Geno-Breaker_, Van! One Zoid versus the Geno-Breaker; do you have _any _idea how suicidal that is!?" 

Van looked down at the ground again, his voice suddenly gone. *But I'm still alive, aren't I?* he instantly thought. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry…" he whispered. "But I only did that in my duty as a member of the Guardian Force…nothing more…" He opened his eyes when a hand fell onto his shoulder and he looked up into Doctor Dee's eyes. 

"And where in the Guardian Force rules does it state 'think irrationally'?" he said quietly. Van couldn't take it any more. His face screwed up with emotion as he shook his head and began to walk off. "Thanks for fixing the Liger Doc…" his voice cracked as he whispered those words. Doctor Dee watched him go, sighing and shaking his head as he took a long draught from his coffee cup. He turned to stare up at the dormant Liger. "That boy still has a lot of growing up to do… It's a wonder he's still alive after fighting Raven one on one so blindly though…" he muttered. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Van: *sitting on the ground bawling* Why does it have to be meee???  
Chan: Because you're a total shoe-in for chara bashing!  
Van: I don't care! I hate it!!  
Chan: But Va~an...where would we be without a touch of angst, ne?  
Van: But WHY does it have to be meeee???  
Chan: Because you're totally uke...  
Van: *stops bawling* Uke? I am not uke!  
Chan: Oh yeah? *clears throat* "Ple~ease Irvine, could you just ho~old me?" *laughs insanely and points at him* UKE!!!  
Van: *teary eyed* Am not uke...  
Irvine: *from the background* Are too!!  
Van: *starts bawling again*  
*Chan runs over to Irvine*  
Chan: I win again! Pay up cracka!!  
Irvine: You are evil incarnate, you know that?  
Chan: Aw, you love me... 


	8. Dinner Disaster

Bwah! I am back again!! Gad I am LOVING my own story!! About this chapter though... *weak laugh while rubbing back of head* Well it _is_ in the angst section and I figured that it'd been wa~ay too long without any sooo... *points to fic* But this is different! It's Irvine angst! And right at the end so you're all gonna have to suffer and wait until I post the next chappie! *evil cackle* I love being a fanfiction writer... A special thanks to the Kleptomaniac Can Opener who loved my story enough to quote it! (ego boost, ego boost... ^_^) And since my internet is still facked up and I'm doing this at around 2:30 in the morning (flaming poop, I'm still awake! @_@) I can't reply to reviews...   
Bah, I'm lazy... Legal shight: 

Disclaimer: No song and dance this time around, just a plain ol' "I don't own Zoids" (Hey it's late, er, early, give me a break!) 

Warnings: Van goes a lil' psycho at the start. Irvine goes a lil' psycho at the end. Fiona is wa~ay too clingy all the way through... 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part eight 

Dinner Disaster 

  
  


Van slammed his door shut, eyes clenched tight and his fists balled at his sides. The young pilot had held back as best as he could as he stormed off to his room and now his rage had begun to boil over. He spluttered a few angry sounds before he screamed, stumbling forward a few steps. He reeled back and slammed his fist into the nearest object that happened to be the wall behind him. His hands flew to his head and he cried out again, doubling over. Van felt the sting of hot tears in his eyes and on his face as they streamed down his cheeks. He sobbed uncontrollably as he stood there, his tears dropping onto the floor. 

"Why??" he asked no one. "Why can't I destroy Raven?? He's just _one _maverick and I'm in the Guardian Force! I should be able to kill him easily!!" he breathed raggedly as he collapsed to his knees. He shook his head slowly as a choked sob escaped his lips. "I just…I can't…" He leant forward until his forehead rested on the cold ground, tears blurring his vision as he opened his eyes. Van breathed raggedly on the ground, his fingers still knotted into his hair as he knelt on the ground. 

"Eight days…" he breathed after a long moment. "Zeek will be fully recovered in eight days Van…" he closed his eyes and sat back up again, breathing hard as he waited for his eyes to dry. "Harlan can go stuff himself for all I care; Raven _will _die by my hands and no one else's. I'm not insane and I'm not suicidal; I just have to stay alive for the next eight days and then with Zeek by my side, I'll take that son of a bitch down once and for all." 

He opened his eyes again and stared aimlessly at the ceiling, a tortured look playing on his face. *You really think your Organoid is going to save you this time?* Raven's voice played in his mind and he glared hard at the ceiling. *Ha! Shows what you know Raven! I'm going to take you down by myself this time!* Van's reply to the grey haired maverick. The black haired boy sighed as the memories of that one fight flooded into his mind; the one that had started all of this… 

"So…" he breathed. "It all comes down to eight days…" He clenched his eyes tight as his right hand began to burn and he gasped softly. Van's eyes flew down to his knuckles and he winced; the back of his hand was bloody where the skin had split open. He swallowed and stood up again, holding his hand out as he walked over to the small sink in his room. The cold water bit into his skin and he groaned as the blood began to wash away from his sore hand; his other hand busying itself with the task of finding a bandage in the cabinet above the sink. 

Van turned the tap off and pulled a bandage and a small patch from the cabinet, walking over to his bed and flopping down hard, opening the patch with his teeth. He went about the task of cleaning up his hand and bandaging it up, wincing at certain points as the tightness of the cloth pressed into his wound. He tied it tightly and flexed his fingers to make sure it would stay tight; happy with the result he stood up and took in a deep breath. 

Van walked back to the mirrored cabinet, staring hard at his blank expression. He twisted his head around and looked himself over, frowning after a moment. "Huh…" he breathed. "God I look terrible…" He leant over the sink and splashed his face with cold water, brushing some through his hair with his fingers. He shook his head quickly, a spray of water flying out, before standing up and checking himself once again. Van smiled weakly at his reflection. "Not perfect, but you'll have to do I suppose…" 

A soft knock on the door interrupted his monologue and he turned to lock shocked eyes on it. He blinked and slapped his head in realisation. It was Fiona! She'd come over to pick him up for dinner, which he'd completely forgotten about. He checked his watch; sure enough, it read seven at night. 

"Coming!" he finally blurted out. He looked down at himself with a groan; his Guardian Force uniform would have to do. It wasn't that dirty anyway, he concluded with a shrug. Van strode over to the door and opened it with a large smile. 

"Hey Fiona, what's up?" She giggled at him. "I came to pick you up. I hope I'm not early." The young pilot shook his head. "Nope, you're right on time," he finally noticed the green dress she had on. "Wow… You look great Fiona!" The Zoidian smiled hopefully up at him. "You really think so?" 

Van nodded and laughed. "Of course! I wouldn't have said so otherwise!" The blonde girl blushed prettily and smiled warmly at him. "Thank you Van, really," she paused to grab his hand and pull him out of the doorway. "Come on then, we'd better get… Oh Van! What happened to your hand?" She pointed to his right hand and the young pilot followed her gaze. 

"Oh that… I, uh, I hurt it today when I…when I was teaching those new recruits basic fighting techniques," he laughed and held it up for her to see. "Good thing I was trained in basic first aid, huh?" She looked worriedly at him and shook her head. "It doesn't hurt, does it?" Van grinned at her. "Nah, it's fine; it'll heal over in no time flat. Now, how about dinner, hey Fiona?" 

She laughed at him and nodded her head. "Sure thing Van." Fiona led Van through the base to the main gate where a Gustav was parked. Van raised an eyebrow. "Hey, isn't that Moonbei's Gustav?" Fiona nodded as she opened the hatch. "Yes, but I wheedled her into letting me use it for the night. Now come on; in you get." Van smiled and shook his head as he climbed into the front passenger seat. "I don't know how you convinced Moonbei to let you use her Gustav; let alone for the _night_. She's more possessive of this thing than her money!" Fiona shrugged as she started the Zoid with a smirk. "It's a secret." 

Van laughed and the two remained quiet as they exited the base. The rotund Zoid had just passed the large double gates of the Keron Base when Van frowned and turned to the blonde girl next to him. "Hey Fiona," he said softly. "Just where are we going anyway?" She smiled warmly at him. "You'll see when we get there…" 

Van sighed and stared outside, a whisper of a smile playing on his lips as he reached up to unconsciously play with his Guardian Force chain. *Well, wherever we're going, I hope they have good food…* his hand snaked around to pull his ponytail around to the front. He smiled fondly as he stared at the black tresses; it was getting longer. *Maybe I _will _wear it out more often…* 

*** 

"The Starlight Bistro?" Van raised an eyebrow as they stopped in front of the large building and he read the sign. Fiona nodded and smiled at him. "I told you Van, I wanted to make it up to you; so, the Starlight Bistro…" 

Van chuckled and walked inside with her, shaking his head. He looked around the inside of the place, a little in awe of everything. He noticed a few couples dancing slowly in a little garden he hadn't seen from the outside. "Wow, classy place," he remarked, suddenly remembering what he wore. He blushed with embarrassment as Fiona turned to him. "What's wrong Van?" 

"Well, this place is pretty high-class and I'm just wearing my uniform…" he turned worried eyes to her. "Are you sure it's okay for me to come in here like this?" Fiona giggled at him as she led them towards a free table at the back. "You look fine Van, trust me." She smiled to herself and turned away from him, a blush creping over her cheeks. *Very fine…* She giggled again and Van just rolled his eyes, biting back a sigh. 

They sat down and Van continued to look around them. The inside was decorated with blacks and purples and vines were freely growing around the walls and ceiling. The ceiling was twinkling with shiny flecks that looked just like starlight. Their table had a single candle burning in the centre with tiny star decorations embroidered into the thin tablecloth. Van smirked as he gazed around; this place didn't look too bad. 

"So," Fiona's voice brought him back to reality and he turned to look at her. She had a menu in her hands and was scanning the list. "What are you going to have?" He blinked at her for a moment before he picked up his own and started to stare down the long list. Van frowned; how many things on this list did you need another language for? Let alone know what the hell they were… 

"Um…" Van mused to himself softly. He leant forward to Fiona. "Hey, uh…how do you say this?" He pointed to a random item on the list and Fiona looked at it for a second. She smiled and shook her head at him. "Say it out slowly; it sounds the way it's spelt." Van leant back and frowned, looking at it again. 

*Ra-vi-o-li cab-o-na-ra… I guess that's how you say it…* he raised an eyebrow as the waiter came over. "And what would you the two of you like to partake of this lovely evening?" he asked with a practised smile. Fiona 'hmm-ed' and smiled back at him. "I'll have the herb seafood crepe with the pine nut salad please. Oh and can I have some fennel and cayenne pepper on that as well please?" 

The waiter nodded with a broad smile. "The young miss has excellent taste, and you sir?" He turned to Van who looked nervously at his choice on the menu before looking up at him. "Um, just the ravioli cabonara thanks…" The waiter nodded. "And would you like anything to drink before you partake of your meal?" Fiona shook her head. "No thank you. Van?" He quickly glanced at her before looking up at the waiter. "Just some water thanks." He smiled nervously at him. 

The waiter smiled and strode off quickly, leaving Van to breath a sigh of relief. Fiona stared at him. "Van? Is anything wrong?" His eyes snapped back to hers. "Nothing! It's nothing!" he laughed nervously. "I guess I'm just not used to all this class! I'm better at giving military orders than ones I can barely pronounce!" he laughed again and Fiona smiled at him. "You're so silly sometimes, Van…" she laughed quietly. 

He relaxed and smiled warmly back at her. His contented expression lasted for only a short moment before he screwed up his face and sprouted a large cheesy grin. "Aw, but you love me!!" he said loudly. Fiona laughed at him so hard she almost started coughing. "You are such an idiot!" she reached across the table to ruffle his hair. He pulled back sharply. "Hey! That took forever to get like that!" he laughed again. 

Fiona stared evenly at him. "You _always _have your hair like that, Van…don't give me that line!" She giggled again as the waiter returned with Van's water. He took it gratefully and drank down most of it; it was a good thing the waiter had also brought out a pitcher of water. 

After a long while of talking and laughing, the laughing mostly done on Fiona's part, their meals finally came and Van was past famished as it was laid before him. He was just about to start gnawing on the candle wax if it hadn't of arrived soon; this also put Fiona into peals of laughter. Van licked his lips as he stared down at his food. He raised an eyebrow and picked up his cutlery with a grin. 

"Bon apatite, Fiona!" he said merrily and heaped a few squares of pasta onto his fork. He stared down at it and allowed the wonderful smell to invade his nose before he tentatively raised it to his mouth and took a quick bite. His eyes widened in surprise as the taste hit him. It was a nice combination of pasta, sour cream and mushroom that, to Van at least, tasted really good. Fiona stared up at him from her meal. "How is it?" she asked. He nodded enthusiastically as he swallowed it down. "It's really great!" he practically yelled. "How's yours?" She smiled at him. "It's really nice." 

Other than those few words, the rest of the meal was finished in silence. The two now sat quietly together, their plates gone as they relaxed into their seats. Van sighed contentedly. "Man, that was the best!" he said in all honesty with a warm smile. "Thanks a lot Fiona!" She giggled at him and rested her hands on her lap. "It's me who should be thanking _you _Van." The black haired youth raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she smiled at him. "If you hadn't of been suspended and dragged to Keron Colony by all of us, I'd never have found this restaurant in the first place," she explained. 

Van considered her words for a moment before his face set. "You mean if I hadn't of gone after Raven and nearly gotten myself killed…" he said with a slight edge to his voice. Fiona's eyes went wide. "No Van, that's not what I meant!" she almost pleaded, her hand reaching over the table to cover his. "That's not what I mean at all…" she stared at him and, with complete honesty, said, "You did what you thought was right Van. Nothing more…" she finished in a whisper and simply smiled at him. 

He paused for a long moment, his eyes switching between their hands and her eyes before he smiled back at her. "You're right, I s'pose…" he smirked at her. "But then again, you usually are…" Her smile grew wider as she stood up, still holding his hand. Van blinked at her in complete surprise. "Come one Van, let's go dance." She nodded towards the little garden dancing area. He stammered a protest as he was dragged away from his seat. "B-but we just ate! Fiona!" She ignored his protests as they stopped at the back and she drew him closer. He swallowed hard as her hand reached up to lightly grasp his shoulder and he, albeit reluctantly, moved his hand around her waist. As he gazed around nervously, he noticed that the garden had an open roof and could be seen from the street; it was outside, built into the alley. He rolled his eyes. *Duh, of course the garden's outside; plants need sunlight, you idiot…* 

They moved slowly to the sway of the music, no more than a few small steps at a time. Van inwardly sighed; it had to be a slow song they were playing… He noticed just how tense his movements were and he tried forcing himself to relax to no avail; he couldn't bring himself to relax around the Zoidian. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. 

*Okay then… Just think it's Irvine; you can always relax around him,* he paused. *No, no…bad idea. Don't want to start doing indecent things in a public place…* he smirked to himself as he thought of the night before. No matter what, Irvine always knew how to make him feel so…happy and secure. It filled him with a warm fuzzy feeling at the mere thought of just _being around _Irvine. His smirk turned into a warm smile and he sighed softly which, unfortunately, caught the attention of Fiona. 

"Van? Is something wrong?" She asked softly. He snapped out of his daydream and opened his eyes, staring down at her. "Uh, no…not at all…" she stared up at him with smiling eyes. "Then why are you smiling?" she asked with a soft chuckle. Van stared down at her, wishing his brain would get off the track of Irvine and onto the track of answer. "I…" he sighed and smiled warmly at her. "I'm…just having a really great time Fiona…" he said softly. 

She stared up at him for a long moment before smiling warmly at him, hands hand leaving their respective places and pressing softly to his chest. Van stared down at her in astonishment as she laid her head gently on her hands. "Thank you Van…" she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, sighing contentedly on his warm chest. Van's arms were numb for a moment before he slowly moved them to wrap around her shoulders, gazing away again, wishing privately that he were somewhere else. 

*But you know she's a good friend! Let her be!* his brain argued. Van frowned lightly, *Yeah, a _friend_… Nothing more!* He could just picture his little conscience-angel flapping around in front of him, trying to prove a point. *You liked her before Irvine came along, and you know it!* he scowled and pressed his lips into a thin line. *And then Irvine _did _come along! So just drop it!* 

Fiona was completely unawares to Van's little quarrel inside his head, as she stood there with her eyes closed, completely living for this one moment. She opened her eyes and smiled to herself. *I hope he really has enjoyed this night. Oh why do you doubt it Fiona? How many times tonight has he smiled that smile at you and said he's enjoyed it?* She sighed softly; a sound unnoticed by Van. *He's such a great dancer…* she closed her eyes again and breathed in deeply. *He said he was having a really great time… Hopefully, though…* 

"Van?" she pulled back and whispered. "Mmm?" He gazed back down at her with a smile. She couldn't help but smile back at him as she slowly shifted her hands to the back of his neck; failing to notice how he slightly tensed at the action. "You said you were really enjoying the night?" she asked softly. He blinked at her. "Yeah, it's been really great…why do you ask?" The blonde girl shrugged lightly. "I just wanted to make it better…" 

Without further warning, Fiona tilted his head down and pressed her lips to his in a long, soft kiss. 

*** 

Irvine frowned at he looked down his list. In his opinion there wasn't enough hours in the day to go shopping for Zoid components. He snorted and shoved the paper in his pocket, walking on. "Why the hell couldn't Fiona have gotten this stuff?" he mumbled to himself. 

He'd known that the Zoidian had borrowed Moonbei's Gustav to come into town for some unknown reason and it would have been the perfect opportunity for someone else to go shopping for a change. He scowled and groaned as he walked along stuffing his hands in his pockets. 

*Number twenty-three hydraulic lock for the Sykes and a new turbo wrench for the doc… Why do _I _have to buy _his _stuff? It's not like he does anything for me!* He sighed and shook his head, coming across the store he wanted. The bounty hunter slipped inside and strode up to the front counter. The lady behind the counter smiled at him, rubbing a grease spot off her cheek. 

"Evening stranger! What can I do for you?" she asked cheerily. Irvine smiled down at her. "Just looking for a number twenty-three hydraulic lock for high speed use." The girl pressed a finger to her lips in thought for a moment. "You're in luck; I was just about to scrap it! We received one a few weeks back, course no one around here wanted it so it's just been a dust collector…" 

Irvine breathed a sigh of relief as the part was handed to him. 

"Anything else?" the girl asked with a smile that would put a thousand watt bulb to shame. Irvine smiled back, somewhat nervously. *No way can someone be this happy…* "Yeah, I was looking for a turbo wrench as well." She nodded and went out the back for a short moment, returning with the long tool and placing it on the counter. "There you go sir. That's seventy-eight credits all up." 

Irvine grimaced but handed over the money all the same. "Just out of curiosity, how much was the wrench?" The girl paused for a second. "Twenty-five credits." Irvine nodded his thanks and walked out with a wave. He stepped into the warm night air and frowned. *The old man owes me twenty-five… Who am I kidding? He'll never pay me back!* 

He sighed and was about to walk off when something caught his eye. "Hey, that's the Gustav…" The Zoid was parked behind a large building that, upon further inspection, turned out to be some sort of restaurant. He shrugged and walked off. *She's probably stuffing her face in that ritzy place…* 

Irvine froze and took a step back, eyes going wide as he peered down the alley. A small garden was built off the side of the restaurant as some sort of dance floor and right at the back was Van. Who looked kind of tense. His eyebrows shot up as far as they could go. Van was with Fiona. Irvine's jaw had begun to creep open as he saw Van looking around nervously. *He's…looking around…to see…* 

In one swift instant, he felt his heart wrench painfully – Fiona pulled Van down for a long kiss. A _very _long kiss. A very long and _passionate _kiss. Irvine bit his bottom lip as he turned away, hot tears stinging his eyes as he shook his head and bolted from his place. 

*No, no, no, _NO_!! It _can't _be; _it just can't_!!* His mind screamed as he ran from the painful sight. He ran blindly back to his Lightning Sykes, Van's words playing in his head. *I understand that I couldn't live a single day without you…* And then he had smiled so warmly at him; the smile that only the two of them had shared… 

Hot tears streaked down his face as stopped abruptly in front of his Zoid, walking over to one leg. He breathed hard for a long moment before he growled loudly and punched the cold metal hard. 

"If you couldn't live without me then why are you with _her _right now!?" He screamed at the starry night sky as his tears continued to flow. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
*Van chasing Chan around with a metal baseball bat*  
Chan: WAAAH!!! I'm sorry!!! God, don't hit me!!!  
Van: You sicko! How dare you pair me with Fiona!! *begins to swing wildly*  
Chan: But it's ANGST dammit!! I had to make you suffer!!  
Van: *screaming* This isn't angst!! _This is just plain cruel!!!_  
Chan: Irvine! Help me!!!  
*Chan runs behind Irvine who stares blankly at her*  
Irvine: And WHY should I help you?  
Chan: Um, um...I'll stop all the angst!!  
Irvine: Kay!! *runs up to Van and hugs him tightly* Van!!  
Van: *drops bat and hugs Irvine back* Irvine!!  
Chan: AWWWW!!! That's so cute!! (And I got to keep my head!!) Until next chapter readers, ja ne!! *turns to the happy couple*  
Chan: That is just the sweetest... 


	9. Aftermaths

Man, a part in this even got _me_ confused (but I 'spose that's no great feat...). Before we get into it: The scene with Reese + Van is supposed to go like this -> Reese tries to play matchmaker in Van's dreams but she screws up when she allows herself to go too deep and falls into his subconscious. *slaps self* Great one Chanith, jes tell 'em all the plot...iee... Anyhoo, apart from that, it should be a-okiday.  
Wah, I'm replying to reviews with my limited memory! To Me: No hitting the elbows!!! I'm posting more and writing more; don't worry! And YES!! Van is a _total _uke!!! To JC Maxwell-Yuy: More to come, I PROMISE!! I'm not going to leave them apart for long (they are too yummy together to do that!). To Ninetails: Wah, I'm not one for liking Fiona either. It's like she expects people to love her coz she's a Zoidian (ooh, i'm special! Pay attention to me!! *giggles*). To Naomi Hunter: *squeals* Yay! I'm converting mur people to V+I pairings!! I love it good... To everyone else whom I can't 'member: Raven _will_ get his ass moving; no I am _not_ a heartless bitch who loves seeing Van suffer (bah, I lie...); and yeah, this story _will_ have an ending! Promise!! *phew*

Oh, oh! And I made a wallpaper with some cruddy mouse art on it from a scene in this chapter! I'm gonna put it up sometime soon if I ever get a new site up and running. 

Disclaimer: *snigger* Uke... I mean, uh, I don't own Zoids! Not now, not ever, not even in a pinch! Though I'd really love to own Van... *snigger* Uke... 

Warnings: YES!! Van angst is back with a vengeance!! *laughs like a madman* And my, doesn't he like swearing a lot in this chapter!! (hey, leave the angsty boy alone... *snigger* uke...) 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part nine 

Aftermaths 

  
  


Van's eyes shot wide open and his whole body froze as they stood there, tightly embraced. His mind was screaming at him to move but shock had rooted his muscles in place, refusing to budge. He clenched his eyes tight and tried to gently push her back. She pulled back and stared up at him, a light blush tinting her cheeks. 

"I'm sorry Van… I guess that was a little fast…" she whispered. Van's mind was caught between screaming and running; instead he just forced a smile. "Um, well…" he stammered. "Let's…just leave the night on a good note huh?" Fiona nodded up at him and walked to the counter, holding his hand tightly. 

Van forced himself not to scream; forced himself not to just up and run away as she paid for their meals. He was dying on the inside; Fiona had just kissed him; he was numb from the horrible shock of it. Van swallowed hard as they left the restaurant, not looking at her as they walked silently back to the Gustav. He felt like crying; it was so stupid! Vans façade of being with Fiona when Irvine wasn't around had worked all too well and now…now all he could think of was how Irvine would react. 

*God…what would he say? I can't believe she just did that!* he forced another smile as they sat down in the Gustav and turned away from her again. *Everything was okay until… Oh God…why is it so hard to be in love with one person and pretend to be with another? It was been fine up until she kissed me! Shit, now it's_ really _going to break her heart when I tell her…* 

The rest of the trip was spent with Van barely holding back his tears; Fiona completely oblivious to the fact as she smiled to herself in her own little world. The Gustav pulled into the base and Van leapt out of the cockpit unsteadily and turned to Fiona who was still smiling. 

"Uh, hey… Tonight was really great," he lied smoothly. "I uh, have to get up early for training tomorrow so I'll see you around." Fiona nodded and hugged him again. Van closed his eyes and swallowed against the hard lump in his throat. "Thanks again for such a wonderful night, Van. I'll see you tomorrow." 

She let him go and he opened his eyes to stare back at her. "Sure thing…" he whispered. She giggled and ran off to find Moonbei. Van watched her go as he stood completely alone in the open area of the base. His bottom lip trembled as he turned to stare at the sky, tears filling his eyes as he failed to hold them back. The young pilot released a choked sob as he turned and pressed his hands to the cold metal of the Gustav, resting his head against it as tears fell from his eyes. 

"What the hell is Irvine going to say…?" he breathed through his sobs, clenching his eyes tight. "God dammit…" he opened his eyes and turned around, pressing his back to the Zoid's armour as he raised an unsteady hand to cover his eyes. "Shit, why didn't I say no when she asked me? God I'm an idiot…" he shook his head and sniffed loudly, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm such a bloody idiot…" 

"Come again Van?" The black haired youth snapped his head up to see Thomas approaching him. *Great, of all people…* He turned away and took a deep breath. "Its nothing Thomas. Just leave me alone…" he waved him off as he stared hard at the ground. "Oh come off it Van!" Thomas laughed. "Since when do you, Mr. Hero Of The Day, want to be alone? You _always _want your fans around!" he said jokingly. 

Van snapped his head up to glare as best as he could at Thomas, even as more tears flooded his eyes. Thomas was taken aback when he saw the tears glistening in the teen's eyes. Van's whole body heated up with rage; he'd had enough tonight. "Since now Thomas!!" he exploded, stepping over to him and jabbing him in the chest with his finger. "I don't need any of your smart-ass remarks right now! I just want to be left alone! Is that so hard to understand!?" Thomas took a step back but otherwise held his ground. "Geez Van! What the hell's gotten into you? It was just a-" 

"I don't care!!" Van screamed at him, tears rolling down his face. "Just leave me the fuck alone!!" With that, the young pilot turned and ran inside the base, leaving a shell-shocked Thomas behind. He blinked hard at the black haired boy's disappearing form. "What's up with him?" he mumbled. "Shit, you try and talk to someone these days…" he turned and continued walking off. 

*** 

Reese giggled to herself as she jogged back to her and Raven's hideout with Specular; didn't _she _have some interesting news to tell him! The Zoidian waved to the black Organoid as she ran through the entrance, slowing to a walk as she approached Raven's back silently. 

She smirked and clasped her hands behind her back, slipping silently behind his crouched form. "Guess what Raven!" she yelled. The wild maverick released a cry and spun around, gun levelled at her head. He growled and threw the weapon violently away. 

"Reese, you bitch! Don't do that for fuck's sake!" he screamed at her as he shot up in front of her. He sighed in exasperation at her still-happy expression. "What is it? I hate guessing games; you know that!" 

She giggled sweetly at him as she waved him off. "Oh you! I have a very interesting tale to tell, which I'm _sure _is going to interest you …" He glared at her and waited for her to continue. "You'll never guess who I saw in Keron Colony, _and _who they were with!" 

He growled at her and narrowed his eyes. "Get on with it!" he snapped. Reese simply smiled at him as she walked behind him, her hands reaching up to grasp his shoulders softly as she leaned in close to his ear. He growled at the close contact. 

"Van Fleihight," she whispered. Raven stopped, turning his head to glare at her as best as he could sideways. "Van? So what…that's your big secret?" She shook her head. "It is if you count the fact he was with Fiona…" His eyebrows shot up as far as they could go and he turned fully to stare at her. "What? But I saw-" she raised a hand to silence him, a wicked smile slowly appearing on her face. "He still is… Why else would that bounty hunter run off like that after seeing them together?" 

Raven frowned at her before it clicked into place and he raised an eyebrow in interest. "So Irvine saw the two of them together?" A nod. "You're sure of it?" Reese winked playfully at him. "Ancient Zoidian's honour, Raven!" The grey haired boy turned away from her as a hard frown stole over his face. 

"This is going to change everything…" he breathed, walking over to the table. "Shit!" He slammed his fist down hard, the lamp jumping and flickering slightly under the impact. Reese shook her head and sighed. "Raven…it's not the end of the world…" she said softly. "Besides, aren't _you _the one who knows more about sadistic little schemes than I do? Surely you could work _something _out." 

Raven growled and stormed outside. "I'm going for a walk!" he barked out as Reese ran after him, stopping at the cave mouth. "Raven! Where are you going!?" Raven ignored her. "Come on Shadow! I need to maul something until I figure something out." The black Organoid turned to glare at Reese before running after his master. 

Reese frowned and pressed her lips into a thin line. "He's right, this _will _change everything…" She sighed in exasperation. "Specular, we have a little mission, my love," she chuckled softly and smiled wickedly. "Time to pay a visit to Keron Base…" 

*** 

Van stopped in front of his door, pressing his forehead to the cold metal as he breathed hard; tears welling in his eyes again as he closed them. He clenched his eyes tightly and cried out, punching the door with his good hand and leaving it to rest there. 

He swallowed and sniffled loudly his shoulders heaving as his sobs just wouldn't stop. Van shook his head against the door as a high whine slipped past his lips; choking on it as he failed to stop it from escaping. He coughed for a long moment and raised his bandaged hand to cover his mouth. Van sniffled loudly and froze as someone tapped his shoulder. 

He shook his head. "Go away…" he mumbled through his fingers. A hand now rested on his shoulder and Van glowered through closed eyes. He spun around as he spoke; ready to mouth off at someone. "Listen, just leave me-!" His eyes shot wide open and he lost his voice for an instant. 

"Ir…vine…" he breathed softly. Immense relief flooded through him as he took a step towards the bounty hunter. "Irvine! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you! I thought you were Thomas again!" Irvine just stared down at him and Van froze, suddenly going cold. "Irvine? What's the matter?" 

Irvine 'hmm-ed' at him and dropped his hand from his shoulder. "Nothing much. How was your night?" Van forced a weak laugh and turned away, pressing his back to his door as he rubbed his eyes dry. "Awful…why do you ask?" 

"Because it looked pretty good for you, the way I saw it," Irvine said with a cynical smirk as he cocked his head to the side. Van stared back at him, incredulous. "Wha-at?" his voice rose at the end, enhancing his confusion as he raised an eyebrow. Irvine glared at him as he whispered, "I thought the whole concept of 'us' meant something to you Van… I guess I was wrong; goodnight." With that, the bounty hunter turned and started to walk off, leaving Van alone in the corridor. 

Irvine was nearly knocked off his feet as Van slammed into him, wrapping his arms around him in an awkward hug. "Wait Irvine, please! Wha…what are you talking about?" Irvine spun around to glare at the youth, pushing him back. "I'm talking about you and _Fiona_, Van! You don't think I know how you snuck off for a little _fling _with her tonight!? Shit Van; the whole fucking _street _could see you!!" Irvine exploded. 

Van's jaw hung open as he stared at Irvine in total shock. He shook his head slowly, fresh tears welling in his eyes as he felt his heart clench. "No… That's not what happened Irvine! Fiona, she- She was the one who kissed- How did you know?" He felt like he couldn't breathe… God, Irvine knew… 

"I was there Van… I had to go into town to get some stuff for Moonbei…" Irvine whispered; his teeth clenched. Van closed his eyes and turned away. "Shit…" he breathed, voice strained with emotion. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…Oh God…I should have said no…" he breathed all at once as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Irvine narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you talking about? You mean you _said _she could do that to you?" Van shook his head vehemently, his tears scattering into the air around him. "No! That's not it Irvine! I… Shit, please Irvine!" he stared up at him with pleading eyes, balling his fists in desperation. "You have to believe me when I say it wasn't _me _that kissed her! _Please!!_" He sobbed loudly and turned his back on him, clutching his sides tightly; it hurt just to breathe, let alone get the air he needed to voice his pleas. 

Irvine stared coldly at him. "Then who was it Van? Because the Van Fleihight I know and love would never have _been _in that situation in the first place," he breathed. "He would have pushed her off or done something to stop it from happening. Not let her stand there and do that to you while I stood there and _watched_…" his voice dripped with venom as Van's tears rolled down his face; listening to the horrible edge in that voice. Van shook his head as he sobbed softly. 

"The Irvine _I _know and love wouldn't stand there and accuse me of something that wasn't my fault…" Van whispered as evenly as he could. He turned to lock hurt eyes with him. "Just please…believe me Irvine… It wasn't my fault…" he took in a gasping breath, staring at him with a look that conveyed the pain in his heart. "It wasn't…" He could barely breathe; his heart was breaking; his entire body ached with the pain of desperation; he looked a mess but just didn't care… All he wanted was for Irvine to believe him. 

The bounty hunter stared at Van for a long moment; watching his every ragged breath; his every shake that his clenched hands made. A whisper in his mind told him that it was wrong to disbelieve him; wrong to just leave him. The whisper, however, was grossly overshadowed by that one image of Van and Fiona; and he couldn't just let that go, no matter how hard he tried. He took in a deep breath and pressed his lips in a thin line, turning his eyes away from Van's; did he have to look at him like that? 

"I know what I saw Van…" he whispered, turning and walking away with his hands in his pockets. 

Van's whole world stopped. All he could see was Irvine walking away; not the walls or the lights or anything else… Just Irvine…walking away. Walking away from him. His breathing suddenly came back to him; shallow and ragged. His throat burned and he took in a deep, shaky breath; turning his eyes away and clenching them tight. His good hand fisted in his shirt tightly as his other one clenched painfully. He didn't care; the pain in his heart was far worse. Tears, burning hot and stinging his eyes, ran down his cheeks and fell to the floor. He bit back a sob as he turned to glare at Irvine's disappearing form, anger and pain behind his eyes. 

"_How can you be so cold!?_" he screamed as loudly as he could before turning and running to his quarters, not noticing the blood that fell to the ground as it ran down his fingers. 

Irvine stopped at the corner of the corridor, tears running down his face as he gripped the wall unsteadily. "I know Van…" he whispered to himself. "But how can you be so cruel…?" 

*** 

Reese stood atop a high cliff as she stared down at the silent base, a hand casually resting on her hip. She smiled as she closed her eyes, leaping straight off the cliff, and freefalling for a long moment before Specular caught her easily. The blue Organoid landed softly and turned to snarl at her. Reese giggled as she slid off the Zoid's back. 

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you," she smiled and softly stroked the blue Organoid's muzzle. "But you must know how fun that is for me." Specular growled softly, almost a purr and turned to stare at the base; Reese nodded. "You're right; we should start now…" she chuckled softly and turned to gaze at the base, closing her eyes. "Where are you, Van Fleihight…" she mumbled as she searched for his mind amongst all the others. She smirked and opened her aqua eyes. "Got you now…" She laughed loudly as her eyes shone brightly for a brief moment. 

She could sense him in his room; he was sleeping uneasily. Reese raised an eyebrow as she closed her eyes and placed her fingers to her temples; this was going to take some doing. The Zoidian girl had always been able to influence people when they were near her and awake. Van, however, was within the base, asleep, with all those other minds around him; somewhat of a challenge for her. Reese smirked; she liked challenges. 

*Van… Van, where are you…?* she whispered to his mind. He remained deep in sleep as his fingers twitched. *Van, what have you done…?* He flinched in his sleep. "…nuth…in…" he mumbled. *You're lying… You were the one who drove him away…* Van rolled over in his sleep, curling up. "…no…not me…" Reese sighed in exasperation, gasping suddenly when a snowy meadow filled her mind; apparently Van was dreaming. 

"I didn't count on him dreaming so quickly into my hypnotic slumber…" she mumbled, nodding to herself. "Very well…" She took in a deep breath and clenched her eyes tight. When she opened them again, she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself; she was standing in the snowy meadow. She had entered Van Fleihight's dream. Reese frowned lightly and began to walk forward, gazing around her. One thing was for sure; Van was a very descriptive dreamer. Every detail, right down to the texture of the snow and the bite in the breeze, was perfect; even she couldn't fault it. "Incredible…" she breathed. 

She stopped as she saw him standing with his back to her some ten metres away. Reese took a step forward and was about to say something when she saw what he held as he turned around to face her. It was Irvine's red bandanna. He had a horribly tired expression on his face and it was completely blank. 

"Who…are you?" he asked softly. Reese blinked at him; he had to be kidding. "You don't know who I am?" He paused for before shaking his head ever so slightly. "No… But then again…I don't know who…I am…either…" he shook his head, as if trying to remember. "I can see…someone smiling…he looks so familiar…" he trailed off as he stared down at Irvine's bandanna. 

Reese smiled sadly at him. "Van…" he stared up at her. "You name is Van Fleihight and that belongs to a very good friend of yours…" she pointed at the bandanna. "His name is Irvine; he saw you do something that angered him and he ran away," she paused to take a breath. "You loved each other…" 

Van frowned at her in confusion. "Irvine?" he breathed. "I…loved him?" Reese nodded and sighed; her breath fogging in front of her. "Very much so…" Van held the red cloth up high, staring at it as a wisp of a smile touched his lips. "Irvine…" Reese smirked to herself; she could sense his heart was beginning to heal. 

Suddenly the snow disappeared and they were standing in a sunnier one; the snow was completely gone and in its place was foot-high grass. Reese gazed around her; a perfect replica of a summer meadow. The sun was warm; the butterflies were real; and Van was smiling. He stared up at her. 

"I remember…" he whispered happily, his eyes lighting up. "I remember!" Van laughed and smiled warmly at Reese. "Thank you…" he breathed. She couldn't help but smile back at him somehow, watching as he bent down and picked a single yellow daffodil. The young pilot smiled softly as he handed it to her. She blinked and slowly took it from him, staring up at him for an answer. He shrugged shyly. "For helping me remember…" 

The smile came back to Reese's face and she gasped. "Your finger; you're bleeding!" Van blinked at her and followed her gaze, staring down at his left hand. He shook his head as he saw the neat slice across his fingertip. "I'm fine; I'm just happy that I remembered…" Van froze, shock coming to his face. "But…I did something terrible…" Reese watched as he lowered his arm again, the bandanna slipping form his hand. "Cold…I called him…cold…" The scene shifted again as Reese felt herself dropped from a great height. She cried out and shut her eyes tightly, waiting for an impact. 

She carefully opened one eye and found herself standing…in a corridor? Certainly not where she had been just a few seconds before! She whirled around as she heard a weak laugh; that sounded like Van! Reese jogged down the corridor and peered around the corner to spy Van leaning up against a door with Irvine standing next to him. 

"Awful…why do you ask?" Reese blinked in realization; she'd slipped into Van's subconscious! "Because it looked pretty good for you, the way I saw it," Irvine snipped. The Zoidian girl frowned; they must have had a fight after Van returned to the base, she realized. Reese watched as Irvine made one more remark before turning and walking away. Van cried out and ran over to him, holding him tight as he pleaded with him. 

Reese stared in complete amazement as Van's subconscious showed her the entire scene. She suddenly realised that she was standing out in full view, but she brushed it aside, knowing that this was a memory and could not be altered by her presence. The Zoidian girl stared down at her hands, surprised that they were not only clenched by her sides, but shaking as well. Did this scene really lay so heavy on her heart? 

"I know what I saw Van…" Irvine whispered, walking towards her. She gasped as he walked straight through her; staring at Van for a reaction to the harsh remark. His hand was bleeding as it clenched by his side and he wore a look of pure torture on his face as he turned to stare at Irvine's disappearing form. 

"_How can you be so cold!?_" He screamed and ran off. Reese gasped in shock as the scene faded to black and she was left standing in darkness. She slowly raised a hand to her face; a finger trailing her cheeks. She was…crying? From Van Fleihight, her greatest enemy? She shook her head and glared skywards. "I've seen enough! I'm leaving!" She cried as inky blackness swirled sickeningly around her. 

Reese snapped her eyes open with a gasp of shock, stumbling backwards as she re-entered the real world. She felt a hard tug at the back of her dress and she twisted around to see that Specular had caught her. "Specular!" she cried happily and hugged the blue Organoid around the neck. "I did my best; he was lost within his dream and I could only guide him out of it," she sighed. "I saw his subconscious… He and Irvine had a fight and that's only going to make matters worse, my love…" 

Reese frowned. "This is only going to anger Raven more…" she mumbled. "It's best that we don't tell him of this Specular; I wouldn't want him after my neck as well as Van Fleihight's…" she chuckled softly as she climbed onto the Organoid's back. "To our temporary home, my love!" Specular growled loudly before taking off into the night; Reese laughing loudly in the night air. 

In his room, Van Fleihight awoke with a startled cry; sitting bolt up as his heart hammered in his chest. He sat there for a long moment, breathing hard as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow. He drew his knees up to his chest and waited for his pulse to return to something resembling normal. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his knees. Van frowned suddenly. 

"Why did I dream of Reese?" he whispered into the darkness. "And why did she say that I loved Irvine?" He gasped suddenly and stuck his finger in his mouth; it was stinging horribly. Van's eyes went wide as he pulled it out. Blood. He had tasted blood. He shook his head and sighed. "Weird… I must be losing it; probably just cut it in my sleep…" He frowned and stared outside his window at the moon, pain tugging at his heart. *What's going to happen…Irvine…?* he closed his eyes and sighed again, laying back down and slipping into a dreamless sleep. 

*** 

Van sighed as he leant back against the wall, taking a sip from his cup as he stared aimlessly outside at the landing strip for the many flying Zoids Keron Base had. He closed his eyes and briefly wondered if he'd ever pilot a flying Zoid again; the experience had been great. 

He snorted and shook his head, taking another sip of wake-up juice; five in the morning was not a good thing for him. He raised an eyebrow as a wisp of a smile played on his lips; he'd been getting up at five o'clock for nearly the past week. 

*Five days since that night…shit, eh?* he smiled sadly and shot down the rest of his coffee, wincing briefly as it burned his throat. He coughed loudly to clear his throat and swallowed hard. *Another injury, great…* he slowly rubbed the back of his right hand; it still hadn't healed fully and was susceptible to bleeding every now and again. Which was the case right now. *I should re-bandage it again; I still have time before my drill…* He paused briefly to shake his head. 

"Fuck it; I'll deal with the pain," he muttered and stood up so fast his chair scraped back audibly. Van sighed and rubbed his tired eyes; sleep had not been at the top of his list lately. *Yeah, not since Irvine decided I was a liar; I still can't believe that!* he scowled at nothing as he made his way to the main hanger. *I pour my heart out to him and he jilts me off like I was nothing to him! And then he avoids me for the next five days!* He frowned in thought as he walked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. *And then I had that dream about Reese… That was just weird…* 

He punched in his access code with a shrug and strolled up to the Blade Liger, smiling widely. "Hey Liger! Up for a little fun?" He laughed and climbed the nearby ladder that led to the Liger's cockpit. Van vaulted into the pilot's seat and strapped himself in. "Alright, let's see how you're doing…" he ran a quick check on the Zoid's systems and they all turned up green. Van grinned and walked the Liger out of the hanger, booting up a com window. 

"This is Lieutenant Van Fleihight, ready to commence testing drills in the Blade Liger," he said to the communications officer. "Roger that Lieutenant, access granted to enter testing grounds." Van nodded and was about to cut of the transmission when he locked his gaze onto something in the background. The image died as the officer cut the connection. 

"That…was Irvine…" he breathed. Van's expression shifted to one of pure venom. "Fine. If he wants to watch, then let him; he seems to like watching and then running off…" Van sprinted the Liger out of the base and slammed it to a halt in the centre of the testing grounds. It was a large strip of desert where one half was straight plains and the other was all rocky outcroppings; perfect for all types of desert battle training. 

"Bring them on! I'm ready!" he growled to no one. He tensed in anticipation; his body automatically knowing this ritual of fighting. Van grinned; this was his love; his place to escape to. The first sim Zoids came at him fast and he whirled the Liger around; two Zaber Fangs. 

*Who would have thought it possible…* his mind began to replay his train of thought on that first night. The night when he first found Irvine. *I grew up in a village not knowing the horrors of war and end up _fighting _in it to destroy the pain it's caused.* He sliced through the Fangs with a cry, turning to blast two Teros' out of the sky. *It's logical though really…* he chuckled as they fell before an explosion rocked the Liger. *Humans will always have the urge to fight.* Van snarled and charged at three Command Wolves, knocking them down and crushing them with his claws. *Pacifism is a joke; it's just a fancy word made up by some dead democrat.* Van locked onto a few more Zaber Fangs, narrowing his eyes. *As long as mankind exists there will always be fighting…* He pulled the trigger and watched as they were engulfed in an explosion. 

"Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead…" he breathed with a sigh, leaning back in his seat. He pulled up a com window. "Lieutenant Fleihight here. All done; the Blade Liger is working perfectly!" The officer on the other end nodded. "Roger that sir. Return to base." Van nodded and cut the connection. He started the Liger towards the base before he winced suddenly, right hand clenching around the controls, causing the Liger to veer strongly. 

He stopped the Zoid hard and clutched his wrist tightly, eyes clenching tight against the pain. "Son of a…! Ah _shit_!!" he cried out in pain as he clenched his teeth tightly. A com window booted up and the communications officer came on screen. "Lieutenant Fleihight, return to- Lieutenant!" he cried. Van opened one eye to stare at the officer. "I'm fine…" he gritted out. "Just…might take me a…little longer, is all…" he cried out behind clenched teeth before the pain finally began to subside. "Lieutenant Fleihight? Are you alright?" the officer pressed. Van took a few breaths as he returned his hands to the controls. "I'm fine… Just tell the infirmary that I'll be in to see them shortly…" 

The officer frowned at him. "Roger that sir…" he said before he cut the connection. Van swallowed hard and bit his bottom lip. *Dammit! You're not fine and you know it!* his mind screamed at him. *I'm going to see the doctor aren't I?* He sighed and started the Liger forward again. 

"Forget Raven…" he whispered as the Zoid ran back to base. "I'm going to be the one to kill myself…" he chuckled to himself. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: *snigger* Uke...  
Van: Will you get over it!? I am NOT uke!!  
Chan: Sure you aren't...  
Van: I'M NOT!!!  
Chan: Su~ure...  
*Irvine enters the scene*  
Irvine: *waving happily* Hi Chan! How are you this fine day?  
Chan: *waves back* I'm great! How are you?  
Irvine: I'm wonderful! *hugs Van tightly* And how's my widdle uuuuke!?  
Van: *screaming from death grip* I AM NOT UKE!!!  
Chan: *snigger* Uke...  
Van: *crying* WAAAAH!!! Someone end my pain!! PLE~EASE!!! 


	10. Confessions of the Heart

Ya, I'm back to cause more merry mayhem amongst the ranks of those lovable bishounen Zoid pilots! Iya...I've been reading too many of mbp's Gundam Manga's again (they're so fleekin funny!). Shameless plug time; go check out the site:  
http://www.angelfire.com/anime/mbp12/index.html  
I was really bored yesterday so I wrote up some lyrics and they turned out pretty a-okiday. Bah, I couldn't find any decent songs to put to Broken so I made my own; the song's called "Fly Again, Live Again" and I'll post it up soon if FF.net let me (or put them elsewhere on the web).  
Weedaa weevuu timies!! To the masked maniac writer: she called a few people 'dear' or 'darling' in the show so I thought "flick it" and made her say 'my love' around Specular. It kinda seems like something she'd say though coz she's just got the personality. o_O;; To Me: *way-too-happy voice* I know it's good!!! That's why I'm writing more!!! *laughs maniacally* To Maelgwyn: More Van + Irvine moments?? ^_~ Kekeke... And ya, Reese is evil coz I want her to be! But nope, Van doesn't really remember the talk he had with Reese; just that he dreamed about her and she said that he still loved Irvy. Wa~ai! I love all my reviewer peoples! They swell my ego so good-like! 

Disclaimer: Bah, I wanna own Zoids but I don't... *usual song and dance* 

Warnings: Emotion flinging ahoy! That's about it! Oh, and the usual dose of swearing... (man, these guys swear a lot, ne?)

Never look directly into the light of a laser mouse...itai...(stupid me did just now...) 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part ten 

Confessions of the Heart 

  
  


Van sighed as he sat on the white bed of the infirmary. He gazed around himself as he waited for the doctor to return; he'd been waiting for ten minutes as it was. He groaned and frowned as he came to a conclusion; you needed to love white to be a doctor. He shook his head and slouched his shoulders; it was so boring in here! 

The door opened and the doctor walked in. "Sorry to keep you waiting Lieutenant, but you wouldn't believe what I've found." He pulled out an x-ray and placed it up on the viewer, flicking it on. "This here is your right hand and this," he pointed to the line of bone that was the knuckles. "Is a wonder of medical science." Van raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean doc?" He sighed and walked over to Van, picking up his right hand. "Tell me if this hurts," he gently pushed back Van's fingers; the young pilot shook his head. "No, it doesn't." The doctor poked him in the knuckles and Van gasped. "Yeah… That did a bit…" he said as he bit his bottom lip. 

The doctor raised an eyebrow and returned to the x-ray, turning to stare hard at Van. "Lieutenant Fleihight, you've been spending the last five days with a broken hand. I don't know how you've lasted this long without proper medical attention." Van shrugged nonchalantly. "I deal with it…" 

The doctor shook his head. "No Lieutenant; not this time you won't. I'm properly treating you before you leave," he smirked at Van. "Oh and by the way…when was the last time you had an immunisation booster shot?" The colour drained from Van's face and he stared back at the doctor in complete horror. The doctor laughed at him. "Come now! I promise you, you won't feel a thing! And I'm sure it'll take your mind off your hand for a while." Van swallowed as the doctor closed the door to the room, officially sealing his fate. 

Twenty minutes and one sore arm later, Van emerged from the doctor's room with a cast on his hand and a scowl on his face. The doctor chuckled at him as the young pilot rubbed the spot just below his shoulder. "Now Lieutenant, you can be assured that if another Zoid pilot doesn't kill you, you won't be dieing of a known disease any time soon!" he joked with him. 

Van forced a laugh and thanked him, walking away quickly. He taken no more than five steps when a hand fell on his shoulder and he spun to meet a pair of brown eyes. "Moonbei! What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise. She winked at him and smiled. "I was in the neighbourhood…" she paused as the disbelief on his face. "Course, it took ten minutes to wheedle it out of that com officer so I could actually _get _to the neighbourhood, but hey… How are you feeling?" 

Van laughed as they walked together. "Apart from the fact that my arm is numb, I can barely move my fingers, and I've been waking up way too early lately I'm fine," he laughed. "How about you?" Moonbei stopped and took in a breath. "Actually Van, that's what I wanted to talk to you about…" 

Van stopped and turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Moonbei?" the female transporter gazed around as a few soldiers walked past. "Um, not out here… Can we go somewhere a little more private?" Van hesitated for a moment before nodding and following her. They walked together until they got outside and climbed up a long ladder to an observation deck, making sure that they were alone. 

"Okay then, what's so important you had to kidnap me away from everyone?" he smirked, leaning on the railing. Moonbei stood next to him, doing the same as she avoided his gaze. "Van, I know about the fight…between you and Irvine…" she whispered. Van froze and turned his gaze to her. "What are you talking about? We haven't had a fight," he lied quietly. 

Moonbei glared at him. "Come off it Van! I heard you that night!" she said loudly. "Hell, it's a wonder the whole _hallway _didn't hear you!" Van turned away from her gaze as he narrowed his eyes in despair. "I told him it wasn't my fault…and he didn't believe me…" Moonbei's face instantly softened and she sighed, turning away and staring down at the ground. 

"And that's not all…" she whispered, watching from the corner of her eye as Van turned to stare at her. "I also know about you two… I have since that first night at Keron Colony…" Van stared at her in total shock. "You…" he choked out. "You…do…?" his voice caught in his throat. She nodded and stared up at him. "But…how?" he breathed. Moonbei sighed softly. "It wasn't that hard to pick. The town is hot, but it doesn't get you sweating like that…not the two of you…" Van blinked as his face fell, turning away and looking down at the faraway ground. "You haven't told anyone have you?" he asked softly. 

"No Van! Not a soul!" Moonbei replied quickly. "It's just… I couldn't do that to you guys… You're my best friends in this crazy world…" Van closed his eyes and sighed, dropping his forehead to rest it on the cool metal. "Shouldn't this change everything between us then?" he mumbled. Moonbei raised an eyebrow. "What d'you mean by that Van? We're still friends aren't we?" 

Van sighed in exasperation. "I know that, but…" he paused and spoke slowly. "What are you going to do with two of your friends; one of whom you've had you eye on for years and the other who is the biggest emotional scrap heap out there…" he sighed again, tears welling in his eyes. "Both who are in love…except one doesn't want the other over a simple wrong-place-wrong-time scenario…" 

"Van Fleihight!" Moonbei sighed and stood up straight. "If you think any of that changes anything between us then you are gonna be sorely disappointed buster!" she leant down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I think you and Irvine would make a better couple than me with him. You just seem to click, you know?" 

Van turned to stare up at her, smiling faintly. "Alright Moonbei; where did you get the mind-warping drugs and where can I get some?" She laughed at him and ruffled his hair. "That's the wacked-out Van Fleihight I know!" Van flinched back from her and stood up straight. "Okay, okay! Knock it off!" he laughed, sobering quickly. "But…I don't know Moonbei; it's just…" he waved his hands around as he tried to voice his thoughts. Moonbei folded her arms and stared back at him. "You've never had troubles with speaking to me before Van, just spit it out already!" she laughed at him with a broad grin. 

Van took a deep breath and dropped his hands to his sides. "Okay… What I was trying to say was, well…" he paused for a second. "Aren't you upset that I basically stole him away from you? I mean, you two were so close and all, and I-" She held her hand up to silence him. "Hold it right there pal! Irvine and were only ever _really good friends_, nothing more! You never stole him away from me!" Moonbei shook her head at him. "In my profession, it always paid to have someone around who could kick some serious ass in a pinch if you ever got into trouble. Irvine just happened to be that guy; he was always there for me if I got into trouble…" she placed a hand softly onto Van's shoulder. "And Van, I think you need him now…" 

Van smiled weakly up at her. "You really think so?" The female transporter nodded. "Most definitely! Besides, I already told you that you and him make a really cute couple!" Van sighed and stared at the floor. "I guess…but I still feel kind of guilty about it…" Moonbei just sighed in exasperation and flicked his forehead. "Van, you're ears are worse than Thomas', I swear! You haven't stolen Irvine away from me! If anything, you've helped him…" she smiled warmly at him and Van frowned in confusion. "Helped him? How?" 

Moonbei folded her arms and stared out at base. "Well, let's just say he never used to be this warm around people until he met you…" Moonbei smiled softly at the young pilot. "You've really done something for him Van, and I don't want to see either of you lose that…I want to help you." 

Van stared back at her with a warm smile. "So…" he said softly. "Can my friend Moonbei help me out with a few relationship tips then?" he asked with a grin. 

Moonbei winked back at him as she walked over to the ladder. "My, my, we're quick on the ball Van!" The young pilot raised an eyebrow at her. "What? Where are you going?" She waved him off. "Tip one: tell the truth. Tip two: be yourself. I'll take my cash payment for the help later; in the meantime, don't go anywhere or I'll wring yer neck!" she snapped at him and left hurriedly. 

Van blinked as he watched her leave, shaking his head and turning back to fold his arms and lean on the railing again. He sighed and stared out at the base; just what did Moonbei have planned anyway? He groaned at the thought of one of Moonbei's schemes. To date, only about three of her many 'brilliant ideas' had worked out; not a fact that instilled a lot of confidence in the young pilot. Van closed his eyes as he waited, the soft breeze washing over him and blowing his hair about. 

He paused to smirk lightly to himself, Irvine's words springing into his mind. *You should leave your hair out more often; it suits you…* he smiled softly and on impulse, reached up to slowly pull the band from his hair. He shook his head and leant back to run a hand through it. Van laughed; he thought he looked like a black haired Raven with shorter, spikier hair. He kept his eyes closed and sighed contentedly at the breeze blew it about; it had been too long since he wore it out like this. 

Van stood there for a long while; his brain forgot to keep count until his watch beeped that it was seven o'clock. He blinked in surprise; he'd been standing there for almost fifteen minutes! He chuckled and shook his head; he was getting to caught up in letting his hair down – literally. Van sighed and leant back on the railing again, staring at the cast on his arm. "That was so stupid… I should really think before I let fly like that…" he groaned; the doctor had said he'd need to keep it on for the next few weeks. Didn't that just add to his happy mood… 

"Van?" a smooth voice laden with shock spoke up behind him. Van's whole body froze and his breath caught in his throat. He swallowed hard and slowly turned around to meet a pair of shocked mauve eyes. 

"You…wanted to speak to me?" Irvine said, voice unnaturally neutral as he avoided Van's gaze and stood next to him, leaning on the railing. Van blinked back his surprise and nodded dumbly at him, turning away again. "Uh…y-yeah…" he breathed. So _this _was Moonbei's plan! She'd sent up Irvine to see Van, telling him that Van wanted to talk to him. Van sighed inwardly; he'd have to kill her later. "I, um…well…" Van said softly. He stiffened when he felt a hand resting on his hair. *Shit! My hair! It's still out!* He swallowed and turned to stare up at Irvine. The bounty hunter smiled sadly back at him. 

"Van…" he whispered. The young pilot could do nothing but stare back at him as he felt his chest tighten and his breathing become shallow. He swallowed again and tried to hold a steady gaze, failing miserably as he felt hot tears welling in his eyes. Van turned away finally, staring down at the ground as he took in a shaky breath. 

"Van, I'm so sorry…" Irvine whispered softly. Van shook his head. "You didn't believe me… You said I was lying…" he barely got out before sniffing loudly, tears running down his cheeks. "Van I was wrong to disbelieve you; I know that now. It's just…I was so angry that I…" he faltered for a moment. "I made a horrible mistake…" Van couldn't take it; he sobbed loudly and turned fully away, shoulders shaking from just the effort of breathing. 

Irvine closed his eyes, shaking his head. "When I saw you though…you had no idea how much it hurt, seeing you with another person; her out of anyone else," he sighed softly. "That's the way I am Van, I always turn pain into anger and I'm so sorry… I never meant to take it out on you; _never_…" 

Van clenched his eyes tight and sniffled again, wiping his eyes quickly. Irvine gazed down at him with a look of pure anguish in his eyes. "Come here Van, come on…" he breathed and drew him into an embrace. Van sobbed loudly and wrapped his arms around him; wanting it more than ever; wanting to _believe _it was real more than ever. 

"Irvine…" he sobbed onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault! Fiona said she wanted to take me out somewhere to make up for scaring me all that time ago and I said yes and i-it…" he choked on a sob. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!!" he pressed his body closer to Irvine's and hugged him tightly. 

The bounty hunter closed his eyes and stroked his hair softly, whispering soft words to him as he held him close. "Van…" he said softly, drawing back to cup his face softly with one hand. Van stared up at him, pain still evident in his eyes, hidden behind his tears. The young pilot sniffled softly and took in a few shaky breaths. 

He closed his eyes tightly as Irvine pressed his lips to his, tears running down his cheeks as he cried silently. He reached up to hold Irvine behind his neck, pulling him as close as possible as they stood there. God knew how he wanted this again; how he _needed _this. Irvine let his arms wrap gently around Van's waist as he kissed him softly. Van drew back lightly and stared at him with hurt eyes, tears still blurring his vision as he held his face softly. 

"Do you have any idea…" he breathed, barely above a whisper. "How much pain it's caused me?" Van swallowed as he stared back at Irvine, tears continuing to run down his cheeks. He turned away and wiped his eyes quickly. "Dammit…why can't I stop crying…?" he sobbed. 

Irvine smiled down at him and gently raised a hand to wipe away his tears with his thumb. "I think we both got hurt badly over this; and things happened that should never have…" he stared down at Van as the young pilot swallowed the rest of his tears down. "What do you say we stop hiding in the shadows?" Van turned his gaze away and sniffed softly. "I guess, but…I-I'll be the one to tell Fiona; she'll probably take it better if she hears it from me…" he stared up at Irvine. "Wha…what about Moonbei though? Shouldn't she know as well?" 

Irvine smirked. "I have the sneaking suspicion that she already does…" he chuckled. "You know Moonbei; always has to be first with all the latest gossip…" He stopped and simply stared at Van, snaking one hand up and behind his head; his fingers running through his black hair. "You wore it out…" Van smiled warmly up at him and shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, I kind of figured that since you were coming – _if _you were coming – I'd give it a shot and wear it out…" he lied smoothly. 

Irvine smiled warmly at him and tucked a stray lock behind his ear. "Van, why on Zi would you ever think that I wouldn't come?" Van frowned lightly at him, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Well gee, let me think about that…" Irvine chuckled and shook his head. "Idiot Van… You should've known that all you had to do was ask and I would've been here sooner…" Van raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. "But…our fight…" Irvine smiled at him. "Was just a misunderstanding; I told you, I was wrong because of my immediate reaction and I'm sorry for that." 

Van lowered his gaze. "It's still my fault though… I shouldn't have let Fiona do that to me; you were right about that…" He sighed and stared back up at the bounty hunter. "Irvine?" he said quietly with a tiny smile. "Mmm?" came the quiet reply. "Could you, please…?" Irvine chuckled and rested a hand on his cheek as he pulled him closer. 

His mauve eyes searched the ebony depths that were Van's eyes, smiling warmly as he saw the same emotions shining back at him. Irvine rubbed his thumb affectionately across Van's red tattoo and smiled sadly down at him. "Van Fleihight…I almost lost you…" he breathed barely above a whisper. Van smiled warmly back at him and covered his hand with his own, holding it there against his cheek. 

"But you didn't…" Van whispered back. Irvine smiled down at him, eyes still holding Van's warm gaze. "I know that now; but I don't want to ever go through losing you like that again. I promise that from now on I'll always be there for you Van…and we'll never be apart again as long as I still breathe…" The black haired youth's smile couldn't have been any wider. "You promise?" 

Irvine chuckled. "Yeah, I promise! You got a problem with that!?" he laughed as he spun Van around and held him tightly in a headlock, ruffling his hair all over the place. Van cried out in surprise at the swift action, trying to struggle out of his tight grip. Irvine grinned widely and began to tickle the young pilot who nearly laughed himself to tears while squirming about. 

"I give, dammit! I give!!" he cried between laughter. "Get off you great lummox!!" Irvine ruffled his hair one final time before he let the teen go, smirking at his dishevelled state. Van stifled a giggle as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "You're a pain in the butt sometimes…" 

"And you're a menace, but you don't see me complaining. Hell, I'm stuck with you!" Van scowled at the retort and punched him playfully in the arm. He poked his tongue out at the bounty hunter. "Meanie…" Irvine sneered at him. "Pain…" 

Van grabbed the belt of his overalls and yanked hard; his hand shooting up to grab the back of Irvine's neck as he pulled him down for a long kiss. Irvine blinked in surprise, but gave in all the same, wrapping his arms around Van's waist as he kissed him back. Van's other hand reached up to join the other as he pulled Irvine's body closer. Van didn't know how long they stayed there like that; only that when they pulled apart, they were both well out of breath. The young pilot panted hard as his lips brushed softly over Irvine's; eyes half-closed in desire. 

"You have _no idea _how much I missed that…" he breathed after a moment. Irvine smirked at him and pressed his forehead to Van's, staring into his ebony eyes. "And you think I didn't?" he chuckled softly and rubbed their noses together. "Tease…" Van smirked at him; feigning a shocked look. "Me? Why would I be a tease when you're around to do the job for me?" Irvine gave him a quick kiss on the nose. "Because you're so good at it Van!" 

Irvine pulled back and sighed suddenly. "But, as long as we're settled on telling the others, we better get going hey?" Van's expression softened and he nodded. "I guess…" he closed his eyes and he shook his head softly. "Dammit… How the hell is Fiona going to take it though?" Irvine shrugged quickly. "I honestly don't know…but once she finds out, she'll still want to be our friend…I hope…" Van grimaced. "Yeah, we can only hope…" he breathed softly. 

"Ah well…I'd better get going then," Van smiled up at Irvine quickly and held him tightly for a moment. Irvine hugged him back and the black haired youth pulled back again, staring up at him. "Can't run from the inevitable," he stated quickly before walking over to the ladder and climbing down quickly. Irvine waved at him as he left, watching the spot where he had been for a moment before turning to lean on the railing, staring out at the desert beyond the base with a smile on his face. 

*** 

Van dropped from the bottom rung and strode quickly into the compound, heading for… He frowned as he stopped just inside a hallway; where would she be? He smiled suddenly; he knew… The young pilot headed off for the sixteenth hanger, smiling all the way. He typed in his access code and walked inside, spying the Zoidian girl and the old doctor in front of the Organoid pod. He smiled as he walked up to them. 

"Hey there you two! How's my silver pal doing?" he said warmly. Fiona turned to giggle at him as she hugged him quickly. "Zeek's doing just great! He'll be fully recovered tomorrow; I can hardly wait to see him again!" Van chuckled and turned to Doctor Dee, remembering the task at hand. 

"Hey gramps, mind if I steal Fiona away for a while?" he asked. The doctor shook his head. "Not at all Van; she's just finished for the day." Van nodded and turned to Fiona. "Hey uh, can we talk somewhere…?" he said softly. She blinked up at him and smiled sweetly; nodding quickly. "Yes, of course," she replied. Van smiled back nervously. "Good," he lifted his gaze. "See you around gramps!" The old man waved him off with a grin. "Aw, rack off already!" 

Van chuckled as he escorted Fiona out of the hanger, walking silently with her through the many corridors of the Keron Base until they reached the outside once more, close to the back fence. The black haired youth turned to Fiona after he made sure they were alone. He chuckled nervously and sat down on a bench; Fiona following suit. 

"What's so funny Van?" she asked softly. Van rubbed the back of his neck. "It's the funniest thing really…" he chuckled again. *Way to go Fleihight; act like a complete giggling moron why don't you!* Fiona gave him a droll look. "You're acting so strangely Van…" 

Van blinked up at her. "Why do you say that?" he asked, surprised. The blonde girl giggled at him. "Because when you came into the hanger, you straight away asked about Zeek and then left it at that. I thought you'd be excited that you're going to see him again tomorrow!" she paused in thought for a second. "And you've avoided seeing Irvine for the past five days as well… Did you two have a fight?" 

Van gave her a funny smirk and shrugged. "I guess you could say that!" he laughed. "And I _am _happy about Zeek! Trust me on that one Fiona!" she shook her head at him with a smile on her face. "Then what did you want to talk about Van?" The young pilot stopped and turned away slightly. *Shit, how am I going to say this? Aw crap…* 

"Well, I-" he stopped and turned to face her again, sighing quickly. She smiled warmly at him. "It's okay Van, you can tell me anything…" Van bit his tongue; that's what he _didn't _want to hear. "Well it's like this…" he paused to turn away from her, pressing his back to the wall. "That time about two weeks ago when I went after Raven… I couldn't think of anything else except killing him," he shook his head sadly and closed his eyes. "It was all I could think of to stop all the pain that he's caused…" he paused as he took in a breath. "But when Irvine found me, that pain hadn't left me; it had just gotten worse. I thought myself so weak for trying to beat something that's as unstoppable as Raven, so I…I found a way for me _not _to be weak…" he curled and uncurled his fist by his side as he swallowed quickly, opening his eyes again. 

"Before…before I went out to confront Raven, Irvine came to see me after Zeek nearly died. I was such an emotional mess and all he could do was listen as I poured my heart out to him," he chuckled at the memory. "I even told him about how my sister used to hold me and talk to me when I was feeling upset and I guess…he took that into consideration…" Fiona stared back at Van, a hurt look on her face. *Van…* 

"He held me that day and I…I got him to make me a promise," he blinked quickly, suddenly realising that he nearly had tears in his eyes. "He said that…whenever I was feeling down or anything, he'd hold me…just like my sister used to," he wet his lips quickly, taking a short breath. "So after I went after Raven and Irvine found me, I wasn't in the best of emotional shape…so he held me. He sat there with me and…he just held me." 

He laughed suddenly, a shrill sound that did nothing to loosen the mood. "And it's…it's the…_strangest _thing because, well he-" he cleared his throat loudly before he continued quickly. "He kissed me." There. He'd said it. Well, enough to get his confidence rolling in his opinion; the rest would be coming out any minute now. He stole a quick glance at Fiona, who he was sure – by the look on her face – she'd passed out from shock. 

"A-and…what did…you do…?" Fiona's voice came out barely above a whisper as she tried vainly to mask her disbelief. Van bit his bottom lip as he took a deep breath. "I kissed him back and we've been a couple since then," he blurted out quickly. He bit down on his tongue and turned hopeful eyes to gaze at Fiona. *Please for the love of whatever merciful god is out there, let her take it okay… Oh please, please, please…* he prayed silently. 

Fiona stared back at him as the words echoed in her head. *They're…a couple…?* her mind whispered in disbelief. She felt hot tears well in her eyes and she turned away as they fell from her eyes. Van reached out to her. "Fiona, shit… I-I'm sorry, I- but we-" She shook her head slowly. "You've been together…for two weeks?" she breathed in a shaky voice edged with emotion. She stared up at him with those hurt crimson eyes. "Behind my back? Even after I- I-!" she cried. "How _could _you!?" she screamed. Van stared back at her in horror, cringing back slightly. He expected her to cry a little, maybe even be happy for them; but not _scream _at him! 

"But…Fiona, I-" he started. Fiona shot up from her place, angry tears in her eyes. "I can't _believe _you! How could you toy with me this way!? I thought you liked me!" she cried as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Fiona, just-" She balled her fists at her side, shaking her head hard. "_Just forget it Van!!_" she creamed before she reeled back and slapped him hard across the face. Van's head snapped around and he sat frozen there in astonishment, his cheek stinging from the sudden impact. Fiona sniffled loudly before she ran off, sobbing loudly. Van slowly reached up and gingerly touched his burning skin; for such a scrawny girl, she could sure hit hard! 

He stared at the ground in shock as he slowly rubbed his cheek, sighing softly as his senses came back to him. "Aw shit…" he muttered and pressed his left hand to his forehead, covering his eyes. Van groaned; the sound rising to a loud growl at the end as he dropped his hand and stared at the sky. 

"'I kissed him back and we've been a couple since then'? God, what was I _thinking_!?" he chided himself. "Way to break it to her fucking gently Fleihight! I am such an _idiot_!!" He sighed and stood up, shaking his head. "I better go and find her; I don't want to leave her this upset!" He turned to leave when a flash of colour caught his eye and he froze, turning to frown at where he'd spied it. "What the…?" 

He cried out in sudden pain as something hard and heavy belted the back of his skull, falling to his hands and knees. A second blow came before he had the chance to blink and he fell to the dirt, unconscious with one very large and bleeding wound. The figure behind him dropped the rock he'd been holding and knelt down to inspect his handiwork; adjusting his hooded cloak. He smirked as he hoisted the unconscious form of Van Fleihight over his shoulder and ran off with a gravelly chuckle. 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: *staring at fic* Man, I am one heartless bitch!  
Van: We know already!!  
Irvine: Didn't she get Fiona off your back though?  
Van: Well, yeah, but...  
Chan: I mean...damn!!  
Van: *crying* I'm so mean!  
Chan: *crying also* I'm so heartless!  
*Both hug each other and bawl*  
Irvine: *blinks* Well this is a fun place to be...  
*Irvine walks off and runs into Raven*  
Irvine: Uh, what are you doing here?  
Raven: *stoner voice* I saw a bright light and when I woke up I was here...  
Irvine: Do yourself a favour and run before she-  
Chan: RAVEN!!! OH MY GOD!!!  
*Raven screams and runs off with Chan in hot pursuit*  
Irvine: *shakes head* She'll glomp any guy...  
*Raven's scream is heard from the background and Chan's maniacal laughter*  
Chan: My bishounen!!! MINE!! *laughs* 


	11. It's not that hard to say maybe

WAAAH!! Ph33r me!! ^_^ *cough* Sorry, but I'm so uber happy right now! I just put the finishing touches on my pwetty new red Blade Liger! *squeak of joy* He walks around on the table and stuff and is the most cutest thing! *giggles like a moronic school girl* I love him good...  
*ehem* Anyhoo! Yeah, this chapter is a little late out coz I kinda went on a little finish-Kingdom-Hearts-umpteen-times-in-a-row trip and (with much lack of sleep) did just that! Gawd I love Ansem (he looks like Sephiroth so that's just fine IMHO! ^_~)!! *cough* I have a thing for guys with silver hair (and Riku, Ansem + Sephy are all in the same game!!) So yeah, I let my brain sleep for about a week while plotline stewed...  
No more Kingdom Hearts! I PROMISE!!! Reader reviews instead; To Maelgwyn: Eep! Okies then; Thomas is yours! And ya; no more lovers quarrel makes me uber happy too! To Lady Geuna: *psychotic laugh* BWAH HA HA HA HA!!!! You must read to find out the truth!! (man I suck at over dramatising). To Ninetails: I loved the reunion scene to bits as well (it's got to be one of my fav mental images in the whole fic!) and as for Fuma; he must LEARN!!! ^_~ Zoids is a treasure trove of yaoi-full fun times!! To Me: There's more coming!!!!! =^_^= To Naomi Hunter: Wah, angst is so much fun to write though (just like lemony goodness! ^_~)! But yeah, I needed the boys to be all happiness again (*evil chuckle* you'll know why soon enough!). To Ko-Arisu: You and your Yami have my thankies! It's so easy to be evil when your screwing with the lives of many bishounen at once...  
Shight that was long... 

Disclaimer: Bah, I wanna own Zoids but I don't... *usual song and dance* 

Warnings: Emotion flinging ahoy! That's about it! Oh, and the usual dose of swearing... (man, these guys swear a lot, ne?)

I'm still working on my new site; never fear! V+I piccies shall be arriving soonies! 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part eleven 

It's Not That Hard To Say Maybe... 

  
  


Irvine whistled to himself as he walked down the hallway to Moonbei's quarters, hands stuffed in his pockets. He chuckled and found that he couldn't wipe the smile from his face, no matter what he thought of. He stopped outside her door and raised his hand to knock; freezing when he heard sobbing coming from inside. Irvine's hand hovered centimetres from the door as he listened intently. He frowned; what if it was…? 

"Come on, Fiona…" Moonbei's voice said softly, making Irvine go cold. *Oh hell…that means Van's already told her…* He heard more sobbing inside and he lowered his arm. "B-but he- he said that…" a loud sniffle, "he had s-such a…a great night!" Fiona cried loudly and Irvine could hear Moonbei speaking softly to her. 

The bounty hunter lowered his gaze to the ground; he felt awful now… His breath caught in his throat and he closed his eyes. "H-how could he?" Fiona cried. "I t-thought that…that he l-loved me! He always a-acted like he did!" She sobbed loudly and dissolved into tears. Irvine sighed and shook his head, turning and walking away; he'd visit Moonbei some other time. 

He snorted; so much for his good mood. He groaned and shook his head again, heading for Van's quarters; at least he might be able to cheer him up some. *Yeah, if Fiona didn't slug him or anything…* Irvine sighed as he walked; no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get that cold feeling to leave the base of his stomach. He reached up to fold his arms behind his head as he walked. 

*She'll be okay after a while…it was just the initial shock from it, I s'pose. That and the fact that she's probably been in love with Van since the first time she met him…* he sighed again, closing his eyes as he reached Van's room. He knocked quietly. "Van, you in there?" he waited for a moment before knocking again. "Van; hey!" he frowned as he opened the door and peered inside. "Van?" he whispered. Irvine blinked as he gazed around the small room; Van hadn't come back yet. 

Irvine shook his head and stepped outside again; he'd come by later then. He frowned as he shut the door. So much for cheering himself up… 

*** 

Hours passed before Irvine walked those halls again; this time he _was _going to visit Moonbei whether Fiona was there or not. He rounded the corner and sighed; he knew how Van felt about Fiona, that he cared for her as a sister and nothing more. Irvine 'hmm-ed' quietly to himself; definitely nothing more now… 

The bounty hunter stopped in front of Moonbei's room and knocked quickly. "Moonbei, you in?" he called. Irvine waited for a long moment before knocking again. "Moonbei!" Today was not his day for catching people! He shook his head; just about to walk off when his name was called from somewhere behind him. Irvine whirled around to see Moonbei standing there. "Hey, where have you been?" She shrugged. "Looking for Van, have you seen him?" Irvine frowned at her in confusion. "No, not since this morning…" 

She turned her gaze away and folded her arms. "That's strange…neither have I…" the female transporter shook her head as she turned back to Irvine. "I was sure he was either with you or Zeek!" Irvine's heart gave a jolt. "Why do you think he'd be with me?" he laughed weakly. 

Moonbei rolled her eyes. "Long story short: I've known about you two since the first night we were at Keron Colony," she smirked at the expression on his face. "I didn't tell anyone except Van this morning before you went to see him and he was fine with it; a little shocked, but fine. And just if you're worried: yes, I'm still going to be your friend." Irvine did nothing but blink at her in complete shock. She giggled at his expression as she shook her head. 

"Oh close those saucers you call eyes and let's go find Van!" she joked as she began to drag him off down the hallway. "Man, it's already four; where could he have run off to?" Irvine shrugged as they walked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I don't know…" he trailed off. "So…how's Fiona? Is she okay now?" he asked quietly. Moonbei lowered her gaze. "She'll be fine after a while… I think it shocked her more than anything and it'll take her a while to get over that; I mean, Van was probably one of her first loves." 

"What do you mean 'probably'? I'd say defiantly!" Irvine raised his eyebrows with a smirk. Moonbei whacked the back of his head. "Are you _that _dense? She's an Ancient Zoidian, Irvine! She's been around a hell of a lot more than us, remember? So she probably had her eye on someone back in her time and has forgotten about him in this one." Irvine rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" he laughed at the exasperation on Moonbei's face. 

"Hey Irvine…" she started softly. "Can I ask you something?" Irvine raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, sure…why do you need to ask?" She grinned and looked slyly at him, her eyes glinting mischievously. "About you and Van…" Irvine grimaced; maybe he shouldn't have said yes… 

She stopped him and grabbed his arms, pressing her face just centimetres from his as her eyes lit up. "So how far have you gone?? Kissing? Touching? More?? Tell me!!" she cried. Irvine nearly choked on his own breath as he glared at her in a mixture of shock and embarrassment. "_Moonbei!!_ That's personal! I'm not telling you that!!" he cried back. Moonbei pulled back and laughed loudly, clutching her sides tightly as she doubled over. "You should see your face!!" she gasped between laughter. Irvine glared fiercely at her as he went bright red. "That's not funny Moonbei!" 

The female transporter managed to regain her breath and stand back up again, giggling as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry Irvine!" she giggled again. "But you know how I just _need _to have the latest goss! What else would I do around this place?" Irvine glared at her and narrowed his eyes, still blushing heavily. "It's none of your business Moonbei!" he turned away and folded his arms across his chest. Moonbei grinned and hugged him tightly. "Oh snap out of it sour puss! I was only _joking_!" she laughed again. 

Irvine gave her a defiant 'hmph' and started walking again. "Weren't we doing something before?" he said not too gently. Moonbei chuckled and caught up with him, clasping her hands behind her head. "Geez, you are such a downer! It was a joke Irvine! Like I'd want to know about your sordid love life with Van!" Irvine shot her a wicked grin. "Who says it's sordid? I happen to like it when he-" Moonbei cried out as her hands flew to her ears. "Enough already! Ack, I don't want to hear about it!" Irvine chuckled. "My, don't we change our tune quickly! Just five seconds ago you were ready to record whatever I'd tell you! And I'll be damned if it wasn't sordid!" 

Moonbei poked her tongue out at him as he just laughed at her. "You have turned into _such _a pervert Irvine…" she stated quietly. Irvine shook his head with a grin. "Look who's talking!" She punched him playfully in the arm as they kept walking. Irvine frowned to himself; just where _was _Van anyway? 

*** 

The blonde girl stood in front of the softly glowing pod as tears trailed down her cheeks. She stared up at the silent Organoid as she slowly placed her hands on the green glass, the sudden warmth fogging it softly. 

"Oh Zeek…" she whispered to the Zoid. "I feel so foolish… All those times when Van was being so nice to me…" she shook her head and lowered her gaze. "I sounds so stupid but…I used to pretend that we were a couple, if only for a little while. It used to make me so happy…" she raised her eyes again. "I can't remember anything from my past life Zeek; I didn't know anything until I met you and Van…" she smiled sadly up at him. "He was my saviour, you know…" she swallowed back a sob. "And look where it's gotten me; a broken heart and a lost friend!" she released a choked sob and pressed her forehead to the cold glass. "I'm such a fool…" she whispered as her tears began to slowly trail down the glass. 

Fiona closed her eyes softly as she took in a shaky breath. "I shouldn't have said those things to him… I shouldn't have hit him like that…" she shook her head against the glass sadly. "Oh Zeek, what am I going to do?" she whispered as she stared up at the silver Organoid. Her pained musings were interrupted when she heard the door opening behind her and she turned to see Irvine and Moonbei standing there. 

Fiona turned her eyes away as she turned around and pressed her back to the pod. Moonbei walked up to her and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. "Fiona? Are you alright?" She nodded silently and turned her gaze warily up to Irvine who merely lowered his eyes as he walked over to her. 

"Fiona, I…I'm sorry…" Irvine said softly, still avoiding her gaze. "I…we, should have told you sooner and I-" Fiona stared hard at the bounty hunter as she place a hand on his shoulder. Irvine looked up at her as she shook her head. "Irvine, I'm the one who should be saying sorry; not you," she whispered as fresh tears came to her eyes. "Sorry that I ever got in the way of you and Van!" she said loudly and pushed past him, running out quickly. The bounty hunter turned to chase after her but a hand fell to his shoulder. 

"You stop right there Irvine, I'll go after her," Moonbei said softly. "You just keep looking for Van. Wherever he is, he's got to be hurting pretty badly over this and I think he's going to need you to cheer him up." Moonbei gave him a quick smile before she left quickly. Irvine turned to watch her go and sighed heavily, shoulders sagging with the movement. 

"I feel like such an ass…" he breathed before shoving his hands in his pockets and turning to leave the room in search of Van. 

*** 

A headache. One throbbing mother of a headache that led you to believe there was an interstellar war raging in between your ears. At least, that's what one Van Fleihight was starting to believe as he stirred. 

Van groaned and realised with great clarity that he was lying down somewhere cold, hard and very alone. His eyes still hurt, even as he kept them closed; how had he gotten here? He knew he should open his eyes to see where he was; but that didn't mean his body should listen. He mentally swore at himself and forced them to open. Dark; probably night time. He groaned again and looked around slowly as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. His surroundings were rough, harsh…some sort of cave? He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. 

His head was killing him… 

Van took in a deep breath and allowed his eyelids to flutter open a bare slit. He ached from every part in his body and he could taste blood in his mouth. It was a strain just to breath. 

*Hang on… I'm…alive…?* His mind whispered. He clenched his eyes tight against the pain as he tried to prop himself up on his elbows. He scowled lightly as he tried to force his arms from behind his back. *What the hell?* He grit his teeth and tugged them harshly; they were bound behind his back. The black haired boy gave a mental sigh of exasperation and painfully rolled to his side, bringing his knees to his chest. He rolled slowly onto them and lifted himself up with a hissing intake of air as his muscles grabbed. 

Van breathed raggedly as he waited for his aching everything to stop aching. He took a deep breath and pulled his breathing down to a normal level. Well, tried to was more like it. Van sat there and waited again; his breathing ragged and his body twinging in pain. He slouched and let his arms fall limp on his back; God, he must've looked like a stoner as he sat there dumbly. He raised his head in pain and cast his eyes around, squinting into the darkness. "The hell… Where on Zi…am I?" he breathed, voice full of pain. 

"Exactly where I want you to be Van Fleihight…" a smooth voice replied into the darkness. Van spun his head around; bad move. He fought back the nauseous feeling that rose in his stomach and peered to the direction of the voice. 

"Who's there?" His voice was hoarse and his throat burned as he coughed suddenly; a sound that echoed around him. Van breathing was laboured as his lungs stopped fighting him and allowed him to stop coughing. He clenched his mouth tightly shut, half as a precaution in case that nauseous feeling came back and half because he didn't want such a loud sound to echo around the cave if he started coughing again; his head was hurting enough as it was. 

That silky smooth voice laughed loudly and Van closed his eyes painfully; why did all psychos he encountered have to laugh so loudly? Silently thanking whoever still played God, Van waited for an answer as the person stopped laughing. 

"Come now, you don't know who I am?" he laughed again; thankfully shorter this time around. Van just sat there and didn't move; he couldn't even find the strength to give this creep an exasperated sigh. He did manage to glare into the darkness with the strength born of a person on the end of their rope. 

Presently, the person stepped forward; or so Van heard. A flare of light burst into life right before his eyes and he turned away sharply; nauseous feeling be damned. He opened his eyes and stared behind him, breathing quickly; the bright light lit up the cave wall before him and he waited for a moment before slowly turning back around to come face-to-face with- 

"Raven!?" he cried hoarsely, swallowing down another coughing fit. "What the hell!?" Raven laughed and placed the lamp he was holding in between them on the ground. "Surprised? The wonderful Van Fleihight surprised? This _is _an occasion!" Raven laughed again and leant up against the cave wall next to him. 

Van cast a quick glance around his surroundings now that he could actually see everything. It was a regular looking cave with a low roof and he was sitting on… a sleeping bag… He stared down at it in wonder; but he was cold when he woke up… He suddenly realised he still had an audience and he locked angry eyes on the grey haired maverick before him, opening his mouth to speak. 

"Oh don't thank me, your kind expression is enough!" Raven interrupted before Van had a chance to speak, leaving him with his mouth open. He clapped his mouth shut with an audible snap. "Thank you!? For what; kidnapping and nearly killing me!?" Van exploded; damn his sore throat, this guy was insane and needed a good screaming at. 

Raven smiled softly at him as he gave him a reasoning look. "Now Van…if I _wanted _to kill you, then you'd be dead by now!" With that, he pushed himself from the wall and strode over to Van, kneeling in front of him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "So how about we start off with you being unconscious again?" Before Van had a chance to cry out in protest, Raven and drawn his hand back and deftly whacked him on the back of the head again. 

Van's eyes went wide as sudden pain shot through his body like fire. He's eyes slid shut and he slumped forward into Raven's arms, out cold once more. Raven smirked and dropped him as he stood up again, wiping his hand off on his jeans. "Does he have to bleed so much?" he complained softly. "Then again, maybe that's why he was out for so long." 

*** 

Moonbei gave an exasperated sigh as she met the others in the cafeteria. They all turned hopeful eyes to her as she shook her head and folded her arms. "No go; he hasn't called in since last night and no one I spoke to said that they'd seen him since yesterday," she sat down next to Fiona. 

The blonde girl sighed and lowered her gaze. "This is all my fault…" she breathed barely above a whisper. Moonbei sighed and smiled at her. "Now Fiona, you can't put any of this on yourself. I'm sure Van will turn up sooner or later! Well, hopefully sooner…" she smiled sweetly at Fiona who merely shook her head. 

"No…this _is _my fault!" she insisted, turning her hurt gaze up to Irvine. "I-" she sighed and stood quickly. "Irvine, can I please talk to you for a moment?" she asked on the verge of tears. Irvine nodded quickly and followed her out, casting a quick glance at the others. Thomas blinked after her as they disappeared before turning to Moonbei. 

"So if Van's not found, do you think I'll have a chance?" he asked with a grin. Moonbei just narrowed her gaze dangerously at him and whacked him over the head. "Thomas, you are _such _a jerk!" He grinned sheepishly at her. "Just joking Moonbei!" he laughed at her as she sighed in exasperation. 

Out in the corridor, Fiona sighed as she pressed her back to the wall; her arms folding behind her as she avoided Irvine's gaze. He swallowed nervously and shifted on the spot. *What does she want to say to me that was so important? Maybe she wants to say sorry about- Yeah right, like she would!* Irvine's gaze narrowed as he turned away from her. *She's been in love with Van since day one… It has to be breaking her heart to see her two best friends in love with-* 

"Irvine…" Fiona's low voice broke into his thoughts and he turned to gaze at her. "I…I have something to tell you…about Van…" her voice ended in a whisper. Irvine waited for her to continue as she stole a quick glance up at him. "When he told me…" she breathed. Fiona sighed quickly and shook her head. "I-I was just so…so _jealous _of the fact that he was with someone else that…that I…" 

She took in a breath as she stared up at Irvine. "I…I slapped him…hard…across the face…" she shook her head quickly as tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm so sorry; this is all my fault! I was the one who drove him off and I…I…" she sobbed as she lowered her gaze away from Irvine's. She took in a shaky breath as she tried vainly to calm her nerves. "We've all lost him because of my stupidity…" 

Irvine smiled sadly at her. "Fiona…" she raised her eyes to meet his. "You're not stupid… And we haven't lost Van; not at all…" he was really unsure of what to say; how do you comfort someone in _this _sort of situation? "Listen, Fiona…" he turned his eyes away as he spoke. "I know that you'll always feel like you've lost Van because of me, and I can't help but feel bad about that. But Van, he…" he stared down at Fiona with a warm smile. "He'd want you to at least still be his friend." 

Fiona turned her eyes away from Irvine's as she stared at nothing in particular. *His friend…* She took in a deep breath and turned back to Irvine with a sad smile. "I'm so sorry Irvine…" she whispered softly. "It's just…I feel so stupid because of it all! I should've realised that I could never be with Van and that he always thought of me as just a sister and that…that…" she stammered as her breath caught in her throat; tears trailing down her cheeks again. 

Irvine dug in his pocket and handed her a scrunched up tissue. She took it and wiped her eyes quickly with a sob, sniffling softly. "Look at me…" she said with a quick laugh. "Crying like a baby over this…" The bounty hunter sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him with sad eyes. "Fiona…you can still like him, and no one thinks that you're stupid; not at all. The most important thing at the moment, though, is trying to find him," he said softly. "We can't do it on our own; we need your help with this Fiona. Van's lost somewhere and we have to find him no matter what. So… Will you help us all?" 

She chuckled softly as she tilted her head down, raising a hand to wipe her eyes quickly. Fiona sniffled back the rest of her tears and smiled warmly back up at him. "Of course I will silly! Van was the one who brought me back to life; I'm not about to let him lose his, even if he is just lost," she smiled broadly at Irvine. "We'll bring him back together…" 

Irvine smiled warmly back at her with a chuckle. "Yeah, we will…" he whispered. Fiona giggled softly. "Hey Irvine? Just one more thing," she smiled sweetly at him as he raised his eyebrows lightly in question. "Instead of being just Van's friend, how about I be a friend to the both of you?" Irvine's eyes lit up as he smiled back at her. "You mean it?" She laughed at him. "Of course I do! I've yet to stop being a friend to either of you! Why should I start now because of this?" 

The bounty hunter nodded. "I guess… But I still feel guilty about not telling you about it. And I'm sure Van feels the same, wherever he is…" he mumbled the last part as he turned his eyes away. Fiona's face fell at that. "Yeah…" she stared back up at him with bright eyes and a broad smile. "But that's what being a part of the Guardian Force is part of! Protecting the innocent and saving people, right Irvine?" The bounty hunter took a step backwards and held up his hands in defence. 

"Whoa up Fiona! I am _not _in the Guardian Force; how many times do I have to tell you guys that?" Fiona giggled at him. "And Doctor Dee built the Lightning Sykes for you out the goodness of his heart did he?" she laughed at his expression and hooked her arm around his elbow, dragging him off. "Come on, the others are waiting for us. We need to go find Van!" 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: *giggling evily* Raven is uber evil...  
Van: What the hell have you done to me!?  
Chan: You've exited stage left my lil' bishounen!  
Van: I know that! But WHY??  
Raven: Because she's the authoress and she wanted you to...  
Van: *pointing at Raven* You started this!!  
Raven: Did not! It was you!!  
Van: Nuh-uh! YOU!!  
Raven: YOU!!  
*both tackle each other in a wild brawl*  
Chan: *blinks* Well now... *runs off as the two maul each other* Irvine! IR~VINE!!  
Irvine: What??  
Chan: You gotta come see this!!  
*Irvine shrugs and follows*  
Irvine: Um...what's up with those two?  
Chan: They're fighting over little ol' me!  
*Irvine disolves in laughter*  
Irvine: No really...what's going on?  
Chan: *angry twitch* Eat firey pain you two!!  
*Raven + Van stop mauling each other long enough to see flaming death headed their way*  
Van: *from sudden crispy pain* Ow...  
Raven: *same state* Ditto...  
Chan: *happy grin and V sign* I win, crackah! 


	12. Gold Chain

Hehehe...I are uber evil-slash-heartless... *shrugs and rubs back of head* Meh, I hated the last chapter; it was total garbage. This one makes up for it though! It's so good even I like how it's going (I better; I'm the one writing it!)! Anyhoo, mah site's up and the addy is: http://www.angelfire.com/anime5/ckaylore Go nuts!! GO!! DO IT!!! Can I tempt you with a Van + Irvine piccie?? How about dodgy mouse-art? *teary eyes* Pweeease just go visit!!  
*shrug* I'm feeling wacky; I just had garlic and stuff and I are hy~per!! *squeal of wierd-ass joy* Anyhoo, on to my selective audience:  
To Lina the Outlawed Bomber: Shight...I mean...SHIGHT!! My ego has just done a double back flip with a half twist!! Damn thanks for loving my twisted tale so very muchly!! You and your Yami! To Ninetails: Wah, thankies heaps for the good stuffage! Yousa are gonna need more net time coz the ending is gonna be good! (well, that's what I wanna think...) To Ko-Arisu: Yay! More people who are starting to like my wierdness! And no YamiChromi; there shall be no Thomas/Fiona (I find straight couples are hard to do anyway; the restaurant scene took yonkers to do!) To Aqua Rhapsody: More I shall right then! To Ade: Here it be then! Sorry about the wait! To Kinzoku: Blood is a speciality of mine! So blood there shall be (and lot's of it!!)! And I shall not stop updating until this one's finished (even I'm loving it heaps!) To Maelgwyn: Yay! I have you and your Zoids aproval! I feel so loved!! ^_^ Wah, I'm gonna shut up now; I'm taking up too much space! @_@;; 

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, I just like facking it up...a lot...a hell of a lot...a whole heap of a hell of a lot...I'm talking- well you get the idea... 

Warnings: Swearing and *gasp* blood! @_@;; Iee!! I'm gunna lose readers now coz I'm spilling blood!! Who's? I'm gunna be creula and make you read to find out! XP

Site's up! =^_^= 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part twelve 

Gold Chain 

  
  


Raven leant back against the shoulder of the Geno-Breaker as he reclined on its stout arm, a wisp of a smile playing on his lips as a light shower had begun to rain down on him. He took in a deep breath and let his body relax as he watched the faded sun slowly sink beyond the hazy horizon. 

"It won't be long now Shadow," he breathed to the Organoid that stared up at him from the ground. A low growl was his response and he chucked softly. "With Van Fleihight in my hands those pathetic friends of his will try anything to get him back," he took a long draught from his flask. The grey haired maverick sighed as he closed his eyes, enjoying the cold feeling the rain left as it bit into his skin. "I've finally got the military right where I want them. Of course, I always _have _had them in the palm of my hand… They'd do everything in their power to see their greatest asset returned to them in one piece!" 

Raven grinned broadly, a chuckle escaping his lips before he laughed loudly. The sound rang out across the open plains of the desert and the sun had all but disappeared before he finished; leaving the dark clouds to take its place. The maverick clutched his sides tightly as he still grinned; they were hurting from his long tirade of laughter. 

"This is working out perfectly!" he laughed again. "I have more power than Hiltz ever had!" Raven's breathing came in short gasps as he burst out laughing again. He was beyond drenched as he leapt into the open cockpit of the Geno-Breaker and shut himself in quickly. "Come on Shadow! We need to go send them a little reminder that we still exist!" 

The hulking red Zoid lifted off the ground easily and blasted away as if it were never there. Raven smirked as he saw Shadow gliding silently next to him. "I'm feeling so generous I'm even going to let you decide where we should go, Shadow!" The black Organoid snarled at his master and shot forward, the Geno-Breaker following quickly. Raven raised an eyebrow and brought up the map on his screen. His lips curled into a vicious smile and he chuckled softly. 

"Excellent choice Shadow," he whispered almost to himself. "The most that base has is a few Gojulis' and Command Wolves; this should be easier than swatting a fly!" He laughed again before a com window came to life and Reese smiled at him. He snarled at her, his good mood dissipating. 

"I'm busy, what do you want? You're supposed to be watching that idiot!" he snapped at her. She smiled at him and cocked her head to the side. "Come now Raven, you know I don't call for a reason." He scowled daggers at her. "And what reason would _that _be?" She chuckled softly, Raven noting for the first time that she was in her Geno-Saurer. 

"You're the one that started this little vendetta aren't you?" she softly reminded him. "Are you just going to leave it at that or is more going to come from this? We can't keep a hostage for much longer you know." Raven looked over her with a scowl. "Where is he anyway?" he asked quietly. Reese jabbed a thumb behind her. "Unconscious. What; you think you can have all the fun of destroying things? I'm not your babysitter Raven; I need to have some fun as well, even if that means dragging his lifeless body with me to do so." She paused to sneer at him. "Did you _have _to hit him that hard? He's been bleeding all over the place ever since!" 

Raven smirked at her and chuckled softly. "I'm so sorry! Don't let him scare you if he wakes up Reese!" he mocked her. She narrowed her gaze at him and cut the connection, which just caused Raven to smile to himself in triumph. "She's too easy to annoy…" he mumbled to himself. 

*** 

Fiona said nothing as she paced back and forth around her room, her hands locked together in an effort to stop them from fidgeting. Her brow was knit in worry as she stopped and bit her bottom lip. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a soft knock rapped on her door. 

"Yes?" she practically cried as she flung the door open. "Moonbei! Has anyone found him yet?" she asked, voice full of worry. The female transporter shook her head sadly. "Not anyone; I'm getting really worried about him too. It's just not like him to just up and disappear like this." Fiona turned her gaze away as she softly told Moonbei of what had happened that day; about how she had been so angry and how she thought that it was her fault that he'd disappeared. Moonbei's eyes shot wide open at the end. 

"Wait a minute, you think that because of that one little thing Van's going to up and run away?" she asked not too gently. "Dammit Fiona, he wouldn't do that; even under _those _circumstances! He cares for you too deeply to leave you like that; he's probably just thought it best if he left you alone for a while is all." *Yeah, and the rest of us…* Fiona shook her head vehemently. 

"Three days is not a while, Moonbei!" she cried. "Something horrible has happened to him and it's my fault! If I hadn't of ran off blindly like that then I might have seen something that would help us find him now!" Fiona nearly had tears in her eyes as she spoke. Moonbei shook her head. "Let's not start blaming yourself over this again," she said softly. "How about this; if something bad _has _happened to him, then we should start looking in the last place we saw him right? You know, get some clue as to where he's gone or whatever." 

Fiona sighed and nodded quickly. "It was at the back of the base; where he told me," she whispered. Moonbei smiled at her. "Then let's go there and see if we can't find anything, hey?" Fiona nodded up at her with a smile, as there was a soft knock on the open door. The two turned to spy Irvine standing there with a smirk on his face. 

"Hey you two, Doctor Dee wants to see us all in the sixteenth hanger right away," he said with a smile. Fiona blinked back at him in wonder. "The sixteenth…Zeek!!" she cried happily. "He's coming out of the pod today!" she ran up to Irvine and hugged him fiercely. "Oh we have to hurry and go see him!" Moonbei couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's happiness. 

*This is the first time she's been truly happy since she heard about Van and Irvine…* she thought with a smile. She was jolted from her thoughts as Fiona latched onto her arm and pulled her from the room. "Come on then! Doctor Dee is waiting for us!" Fiona laughed again as she shut the door behind her. Irvine chuckled as he followed the two. Well, it was more like Fiona dragging Moonbei off and Irvine trailing behind. 

The three eventually made it to the sixteenth hanger in no time and Fiona jogged up to the old man with an elated smile on her face. "Doctor Dee! We came as soon as we could…" she trailed off as she blinked up at the empty green pod. "Where's Zeek?" she said softly, smile faltering. Something cold and hard nudged her shoulder and she spun around to meet a pair of bright ruby eyes. Her smile came back in an instant and she flung her arms around the neck of the silver Organoid. 

"Zeek!! I'm so happy to see you again!!" she cried happily as tears of joy filled her eyes. "We were all so worried about you! Oh so much has happened while you were gone!" She pulled back to stroke the Zoid's muzzle affectionately. He growled softly at her as he peered around; Fiona pausing to lower her head. 

"He's…he's disappeared somewhere…" she looked back up at him. "We were on our way to go and look for clues when Irvine told us about you," she smiled softly at the Zoid. "But now that you're okay you can help us look for him, hey Zeek?" The Organoid nodded and nuzzled her cheek softly. Fiona giggled. "I missed you too Zeek!" 

Irvine cleared his throat as the two turned to look at him. He waved at Zeek with a large grin. "Didn't forget about us while you were sleeping did you?" he asked with a smirk. Zeek flicked his tail happily as he trotted over to Moonbei and him, nuzzling each of them happily with a low growl. Moonbei chuckled as she hugged him tightly. "Hey Zeek, we missed you…" she said softly. Irvine nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we all did," he froze as Zeek licked his face quickly and he pulled back and wiped it hurriedly. "Ack! But I didn't miss that!" he snapped as the others just laughed at him. 

"Whatever, let's just go find Van…" he said with a sneer in Zeek's direction as he rubbed his face. "Aw gross…Organoid spit…" he mumbled. Moonbei just snickered at him as she leant in close and jabbed him in the ribs. "Oh come on, and you're not used to worse from Va-an?" she whispered innocently in a sing-song voice. He flushed red and scowled at her. "Moonbei!!" he cried, which instantly got the attention of everyone in the hanger. He froze and laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's go find Van, hey?" he said meekly and scooted out quickly. 

Doctor Dee raised an eyebrow as Irvine left, turning to Moonbei who blinked innocently at him. "What?" she asked. The old man took a long draught from his coffee. "I don't even want to know what that was about…" he turned his gaze back to Moonbei; coffee cup still pressed to his lips. "But I'm guessing from the look on his face it was pretty perverted…" Moonbei shrugged and grabbed Fiona by the arm, pulling her out of the hanger. "Van awaits! Let's go!" she said loudly as Zeek followed them. Doctor Dee just smiled to himself as they left. "Ah the fun of innocent banter…" 

The four rounded the corner and walked in silence to the rear of the base, still standing under cover from the falling rain. Fiona stopped and gazed around the small area with a shiver; a few empty crates now sat there and so did the bench where she and Van once sat. She lowered her gaze and sighed softly. "I still feel like it's my fault…" she breathed to herself. 

Moonbei placed her hands on her hips and stared around. "Okay, so what happened here when you last saw Van?" Fiona pointed to the bench. "We sat there and he told me everything and then I slapped him and stormed off… I haven't seen him since then," she trailed off. Irvine frowned lightly at her and turned his gaze back to the surrounding area. He froze and his eyes flew wide as he walked over to the bench, ignoring the rain and kneeling down quickly. "Guys…" he said barely above a whisper. The other two joined him as he picked up a rock from under it and turned it over. 

"Blood…" Moonbei breathed. Irvine dropped it and ran his fingers over the earth that was still barely dry under the bench. "There's more of it here too. It's old though; too old to be noticed easily." He froze and spun around to Fiona, grabbing the rock again. "Fiona, get this to Doctor Dee right away!" she blinked at him. "But what good will that do Irvine?" He stared back at her. "The military has Van's DNA on file; if this matches up to it then at least we know what's happened to him." 

Moonbei frowned at him. "You mean Van…was kidnapped?" she breathed. Irvine nodded and wiped his rain soaked bangs from his eyes. "Probably had a fight with someone and got on the bad end of that rock. But who could it be? How could they get past the base's security so easily?" Moonbei raised an eyebrow. "You don't think it could be an inside job do you?" Irvine shrugged at her. "I don't know…" he stared up at Fiona. "Let's just get that to the old man; he'll be able to give us an answer as to who the mystery blood donor is if it isn't Van." 

*** 

Barely an hour later, Doctor Dee walked back to the four with a hard look on his face. "Bad news crew, it was Van's blood all over that stone. As for who did it to him, security tapes show nothing except for this one segment," he walked over to a console and played the recording, freezing it on one spot as everyone gasped. 

"Shadow!" Moonbei cried. "Then it _was _Raven who kidnapped Van!" Doctor Dee held up a finger. "Maybe, maybe not; look at this next bit. This was taken about three minutes before the other one." He played the next part as the others watched intently. It showed a figure, barely visible, standing atop a nearby rocky outcropping with a long cloak covering his features. Irvine wrinkled his nose as he squinted at it. 

"Who's that, old man?" he asked, leaning forward a bit. The old doctor shook his head. "I'm not sure, and that's as enhanced as this picture can get; I've pushed it up as far as it will go without losing clarity. But you're probably right Moonbei; it's most likely Raven that's abducted Van, given that Shadow was seen at the base. As to how he got past security, I'm completely stumped." He took a long draught from his coffee cup. 

"Doctor Dee! Sir!" a soldier called. The old man spun around to meet the flustered youth. "What is it boy?" The soldier pointed behind him. "You're all needed urgently in the main control room sir! Raven's just contacted the base and General Harlan wants you all to see this!" The doctor nodded at him. "We'll be there as soon as we can." The soldier saluted him and jogged off again. The old man turned to the others. 

"Well, might as well go and see what the psychopath wants then… Probably demanding ransom or something," he muttered as he started off for the main control room; the others following quickly behind him. Fiona walked next to him. "What do you think he's going to say? Raven never contacts any base unless he's about to destroy it!" she said worriedly as the old man shrugged. "Can't say really. With Raven, anything's possible. Although I highly doubt he'd destroy this base." 

Fiona's brow furrowed. "Why's that Doctor Dee?" He gave her a sideways glance. "Because Raven knows that while Van's in his custody, we'd do anything to see him returned safely. He most likely thinks that he has control over us that way. He's probably going to bait us out with him somehow and pick us off one by one in his Geno-Breaker." He paused and as an after thought added, "And _then _he'll destroy this base…" 

They rounded the corner and entered the main control room; spying Thomas sitting down next to the standing General. Moonbei faltered; Thomas looked kind of pale to her as he sat at a spare console. Doctor Dee grinned and waved at the General. "Hiya Harlan! What's our resident sociopath got to say today?" The General narrowed his gaze at the old man but otherwise kept his mouth shut from snapping out an instant retort. "Raven just sent us this message and I thought that you'd all like to see it," he stepped over to a nearby console and pulled up a vid window, replaying the message. Raven's face came on-screen and he smiled maliciously at them. 

"Good afternoon inhabitants of Keron Base," he began smoothly. "It's come to my attention that one of your men has gone missing; one certain Van Fleihight to be exact. And how very strange it is that _someone _should just happen into my care fitting _his _description!" he chuckled softly, the sound grating past his lips before he sobered quickly. "If any of you really value your friend's life, I suggest that you listen up _very carefully_, as I'm only going to say this once. I want Lieutenant Schubaltz to meet me – alone – at these co-ordinates in exactly three hours for a Zoid battle; the winner gets Van of course. If you decide it would be best to follow him or send an entire unit in his place, well…" he raised a gun on-screen and tapped his temple suggestively with it, a cold smirk claiming his lips. "You understand, don't you?" he chuckled again and lowered the weapon. "I'll be waiting for you Lieutenant; that is, if you really give a damn about his worthless carcass!" he laughed through his words before he stopped to stare at the screen again. "Oh and just in case you were wondering if I'm bluffing or not…" the grey haired maverick lifted his hand and produced a gold chain with a small circular pendant on it. "He really _is _mine…" he laughed loudly as the transmission died. 

Irvine growled audibly and narrowed his eyes venomously at the blank screen. "Son of a _bitch_!!" he screamed and slammed his fist into the screen, shattering it instantly. Without pausing, he turned around and stormed from the control room. Moonbei spun on her heel. "Irvine! Aw dammit!" she sighed and shook her head quickly. "Well…at least we know that he actually has Van…" she turned her gaze to Thomas, who now had Fiona by his side. She walked over to him as he sat with his head in his hands. 

"I'm gonna die… He's gonna kill me…" he was muttering softly to himself. Fiona rubbed his back comfortingly. "Now Thomas… Raven's not going to kill you; you just have to trust yourself that you can do this!" Thomas turned his horrified gaze to her. "You actually want me to go through with this!?" he shrieked. She flinched at the pitch in his voice and turned her gaze away. "Well…he did ask for you specifically…" she trailed off. Thomas groaned and hung his head again. 

"I'm signing my own death warrant…" he whined. Fiona smiled weakly at him before the lights flickered for a second and all eyes in the room turned skyward. Doctor Dee raised an eyebrow. "This is one serious storm!" he said and turned to the General. "Harlan, we have to do something about Raven." The General nodded. "Lieutenant Schubaltz will be escorted by a troupe of four Zaber Fangs and four Gojulis' to Raven's position." 

"Are you insane!?" Moonbei exploded as everyone jumped. "Hello!? Did you not see the hunk of metal that psychopath had? He said he'd _kill _Van if we didn't follow his orders! Did that little piece of information just shoot straight over your head!?" General Harlan narrowed his eyes at her and turned away. "It would be suicide to send just one person to rescue him…" 

"And it would be just as bad if you didn't!" Moonbei shot back. "Thomas! Get your ass to the D-Bison now and go rescue Van! _Now!!_" Thomas jumped straight up at her voice and turned horrified eyes to her. "There has to be some other way!" She glared at him and held a clenched fist within two inches of his nose. "Either you get out there on your own or I send you there in a box!" she sighed and pulled back, still glaring at him. "Thomas, how many times has Van saved your life? Don't you think it's time to return the favour somehow?" 

"You don't understand Moonbei!" Thomas cried. "Of course I'd jump at the chance to get out there and be the hero for once but this is just suicide!!" he shrieked. "Going one-on-one with Raven is not my idea of a good plan! We have to think of something else!" He was thrown to the floor suddenly as Moonbei slammed her fist into his jaw with a cry. She glared at him with a look of pure venom as she whispered through clenched teeth, "Get going…" 

Thomas swallowed and sat there dumbly, holding his jaw as he blinked up at her. "Moonbei…" he breathed. He pushed himself from the floor and turned to Fiona. "Hey Fiona…" he started quietly. "Do you still have that electromagnetic pulse shield generator?" The blonde girl nodded. "Why do you ask Thomas?" He smiled weakly at her. "If I'm going to fight Raven, I think I'll need it…" 

Moonbei smirked and placed her hands on her hips. "Hey I should hit you more often; I think it knocked some sense into you!" Thomas laughed weakly. "Remind me not to tempt you again; that _really _hurt!" he said and rubbed his jaw again. Moonbei chuckled and shook her head. "Sorry, but it's the only way I could get through to you that you're Van's only hope Thomas; we need you to be focused here," she gave him a droll look. "Not in whiner mode!" 

He raised an eyebrow at her. *Whiner mode?* he mused to himself. "Whatever…" he shook his head with a sigh. "I need to go install the shield; Fiona, can you bring it to the D-Bison? I'll see the rest of you guys before I leave." Before anyone else had any say in the matter, Thomas turned and walked quickly from the control room. 

He swallowed hard and headed for the main hanger where his D-Bison rested; his heart pounding in his chest. *I'm gonna die… He's gonna paste me…* his mind repeated as he entered his access code and walked over to his Zoid. He took in a deep breath and held it for a second. "Hey Beek," he tapped the device on his left ear and a whistled reply was heard. "I'm going to be installing the electromagnetic pulse shield generator in about ten minutes. Get the D-Bison lowered for me, will you?" The machine whistled and beeped at him and he shook his head. "I'm fine…just a little freaked out is all…" 

Beek clicked at him in question and Thomas groaned. "I have to fight Raven one-on-one! That's why!!" He listened to Beek's reply and he scowled death at the Zoid. "I am not being-!" he took in a deep breath. "I'm not fuming over it Beek, I'm just a little bewildered as to why Raven chose me to fight him…" he said calmly. 

The AI just bleeped at him and he frowned at it. "Stupid creation… I oughta reprogram you!" he snapped as the D-Bison slowly lowered its massive body with a metallic groan. Thomas grumbled as he started his way up to where he'd install the large computer card. He sat at the neck of the D-Bison, almost doubled over under the large cannons, and opened a large hatch, reaching inside and frowning lightly. "Hey Beek, could you give me some light here?" The small unit on his ear lit up the area in front of him and he smirked as he reached further inside the open hatch, snagging a few cables and pushing them out of the way. 

"Thomas!" a sweet voice rang out from the ground. "Miss Fiona!" The younger Schubaltz cried happily a sat bolt up, smacking the back of his head on the base of a cannon. He rubbed it gingerly, muttering "Okay, that hurt…" Fiona giggled at him. "Silly… Here's the shield generator you asked for! Catch!" Thomas began to stammer a protest when she threw the device up to him. 

Thomas stretched out and nearly fell from his perch to catch it. Scrabbling for a handhold, he had to hook his leg into the open hatch to stop himself from just rolling off the D-Bison. He released a sound that could only be chalked up to 'eep' and pulled himself back up again. He breathed a sigh of relief once he was seated safely again and held the device close; turning to give Fiona a sheepish grin. 

"Got it, thanks!" He waved the card triumphantly in the air as he grinned down at her. Fiona just smiled back at him as he turned away and began to install the device. Beek whistled at him and his smile got wider. "No Beek, that would be wrong. I wouldn't do that to Miss Fiona anyway, she's too good a friend to endanger her life like that, though it would be nice to have her accompany me on this…" 

He clicked the device into place and pushed the cables back where they were, sitting up and smacking his head again. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head, muttering a small string of curses as he climbed down from his place and dropped to the ground. Thomas straightened up again and smiled sweetly at Fiona who smiled warmly back at him. "Thomas…" she whispered. 

He blinked his eyes open and stared at her. "Yes Miss Fiona?" he asked quickly. She stepped forward and hugged him suddenly, oblivious to the fact that Thomas's face went as red as a tomato. He nearly collapsed to the ground as his knees began to feel tremendously weak. She pulled back and stared up at him. 

"Be safe out there…" she whispered. He was still blushing heavily as he nodded dumbly and blinked at her. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Don't you worry at all Miss Fiona! When I beat Raven today, I'll consider it a victory in your honour!" he thumped his fist across his chest, as if it were a strict promise. She giggled softly at him and smiled warmly up at him. 

"Just bring yourself and Van back safely, alright?" she said quietly. Thomas' face fell. "Oh, and Van…of course…" *Dammit, forgot about him… Oh wait; that's the reason I'm going…* "Heh…can't forget him I suppose!" he laughed it off before stopping when he noticed how serious Fiona was. He smiled sadly down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it… We'll both come back alive; I promise you that…" he whispered. She smiled warmly up at him and nodded, almost to herself. "I know you will Thomas…you _and _Van…" 

*** 

Raven turned around with a smirk as he stood at the mouth of the cave, beaming down at his captive. A bright flash of lightning illuminated his figure and he cocked his head to the side, one hand resting casually on his hip. 

"Well Van, how are you liking my plan so far?" he asked innocently. "Up to _your _great standards, I'd hope!" he laughed as Van just glared at him from his place on the ground. "Fuck you Raven!" he snapped at him loudly. Raven faked an offended look. "Why Van, I'm hurt. I go to all this trouble to have one of your worthless friends pay you a visit and that's all you have to say," he paused as his smile returned. "Or would you rather it be Irvine that came to your rescue instead of that Schubaltz?" 

Van's eyes snapped wide open and he glared, horrified, up at the grey haired maverick. Raven just walked over to him and leant in close, grabbing his face roughly. He narrowed his gaze at him as his smile dissipated; replaced with a cold sneer. "You're a disgrace to our species…" he breathed and shoved him back against the cold stone harshly. Van's head cracked against it hard and he gasped coarsely, wincing hard as he clenched his eyes tight. 

Raven stood up and turned his back to him, folding his arms across his chest. Van opened his eyes and set his gaze on Raven's still form, taking in a few deep breaths behind clenched teeth. He took a quick look around him; his hands were still bound behind his back and there was nothing around him that could cut through the tight cord. He bit back a groan of frustration and pulled his legs close to his chest, rolling silently forward until he was crouching, his eyes never leaving Raven's back. 

With a hard shove, Van sprang from his place and shoulder barged Raven with all of his strength. The sudden move caught the maverick off-guard and he lurched forward violently, head snapping back as he cried out and fell to the ground harshly. Van released a snarl as he got back to his feet and flew at Raven's form again, falling onto his back hard with his knees. Raven cried out in pain and Van shot from his place, bolting from the cave as fast as his legs would carry him into the grey haze of rain. 

*Dammit! I have to get my arms free!* his mind screamed at him as adrenaline coursed through his body, urging him to go faster. He growled in frustration as his hair began to fall slick to his scalp and he threw his head back in an attempt to flick it out of his eyes. "Damned rain! I can barely see two feet in front of me!" 

Sudden pain, like fire, lanced through his body and he screamed as he fell to the muddy ground harshly, sprawling into the muck with another cry of pain. His whole leg felt like it was on fire! Van clenched his teeth tightly as he lay on the ground in extreme pain. Another flash of lightning and he saw that Raven was walking up to him with one arm around his ribs and the other clutching something tightly. He half jogged up to Van and kicked him as hard as he could in the ribs, causing the young pilot to cry out further. 

"You son of a bitch Van Fleihight!" he screamed at him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, hauling him to his feet and pulling his face close to his own. "Don't _ever _fucking try a stunt like that again!! You hear me!?" Van clenched his teeth against the harsh pain and breathed raggedly in Raven's face, glaring at him. Raven snarled at him and punched him in the leg where he had shot him; Van screamed out in pain and Raven, satisfied, half dragged him back to the cave. Once inside the dry confines of their temporary home, Raven shoved Van to the ground as he ground his teeth together, waiting for his breathing to return. He spat to the side and narrowed his eyes at Van's groaning form. *The prick actually managed to wind me…not too bad; he caught me off-guard…* 

Van lay on the cold ground, soaked through and in severe pain as he breathed raggedly; his eyes clenched tight. He could tell he was bleeding badly and he was guessing he wasn't going to get any sympathy from Raven, let alone any help from him. He swallowed hard as a shiver tore through his body; he was getting colder, and being soaked through wasn't helping. Van opened his eyes a bare slit as he stared straight ahead, breathing hard still. 

"Maybe you'll bleed to death before that moron gets here," Raven snapped. "At least that'll stop you from trying to escape. Of course, it would be the same outcome if you didn't," he paused to sit on the ground opposite Van, still glaring harshly at him. "I'm going to kill you anyway. But this is the best part; it's going to be right before the eyes of that pathetic excuse for a bounty hunter!" Van's eyes snapped wide open and he locked eyes with Raven who merely smirked at him. "Why do you think I only called for the Schubaltz brat? I _know _that Irvine will follow him; it's not that hard to guess he will," he narrowed his eyes venomously at the young pilot, a sneer crossing his features. "Too bad the one you love is going to be your executioner…" 

*Raven's…going to kill me…* his mind whispered softly. *Irvine, no… Oh God no…* Van clenched his eyes tight as hot tears began to well in his eyes. *Irvine…* 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Raven: *hiding in bushes* We need to kill her...  
Van: *next to him in bushes* What the hell!? Why??  
Raven: Because she's insane...  
Van: I know that! But she's done _one _good thing!  
Raven: Oh cheese, you mean the you and Irvine thing?  
Van: *dreamy eyed* Yeah...  
Raven: *sweatdrops* I want off this ride...  
*runs out of the bushes and charges up to Chan*  
Raven: We need to talk!  
Chan: *sweetly* Really? Whatever about my little Raven-kun?  
Raven: I wanna wear pink in the next chapter! *pauses then screams and runs off*  
*Chan disolves into laughter as Irvine whacks her over the head*  
Chan: What was that for!?  
Irvine: How sadistic are you!? You're writing words into their mouthes!!  
Van: *from the bushes* It was her fault!  
Chan: *sweatdrops* Uhm, well... *points to Raven's screaming and gagging form* He started it! It was his idea!!  
Raven: You little-! We had a deal!! 


	13. Just Beyond My Fingertips

Holy crap I am on such a high from writing this chapter! You have no idea how happy I was to do this one (I live for being heartless *shrug*)! I are a truly evil person but I'm not gonna spoil anything; you'll just have to read and stuff!  
*shakes head* I'm sorry; but I just really loved writing this chapter. I have a real knack for doing emotional scenes it seems (well, according to my selective audience anyhoo) and this has got to be one of my finest pieces IMHO.  
I'm dedicating this chapter to Rammstein and Rob Zombie whom without, I would never have the great background music for my fight scenes as I write them. Weeda weevuu-inck timies 'gain!!  
To Ninetails: Thankies once more for your great ego swelling opinion! Hehehe...Raven's a bastard... More you want so more you shall get! To Mi Chelle: If you wanna know what happens next then read on deya reader! ^_~ To Maelgwyn: Well Raven only had Van as a *hostage* so he didn't wanna kill him...not just yet anyway... Bah, he's just being uber evil!! To Aqua Rhapsody: Trust me on this one; I was so hyper while writing this last night I didn't need you to plague me! My fingers still hurt from typing so fast but this is the curse of the fanfic writer... Anyhoo, here's a new chappie just fer all of you! 

Disclaimer: I'd love to own Zoids so I could con the peoples into doing this story (if only to see some Van + Irvine action! *wink, wink*) 

Warnings: *More* swearing and *more* blood! Double iee!! The rating's gone up because of this chapter!! @_@;; (shist...) 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part thirteen 

Just Beyond My Fingertips... 

  
  


Thomas took a shaky breath as he stood staring up at his D-Bison. His three hours were almost up; all he had to do was get the word from General Harlan and he'd be on his way. He bit his bottom lip as a high whine escaped him. He took in another deep breath and held it as he stared, throwing himself forward suddenly and hugging a massive leg. 

"I'm so sorry! I don't want to do this to you but it's not my choice!!" he bawled. "If I don't then Moonbei's gonna put me in a box!!" he stopped suddenly. "Hang on, if she sends me there in a box then my D-Bison and Beek won't get hurt… Yes! That's it!" he jumped back and cheered loudly. 

"I take back what I said before; that hit to the head did some damage to you!" A high laugh came from behind him and Thomas turned to see Moonbei standing with Fiona, Zeek, General Harlan and Doctor Dee. He froze and dropped his arms, saluting fiercely. "General Harlan sir! The final check has been completed and I'm ready to move out at your command!" 

The General nodded and stepped forward, locking his gaze on Thomas'. The blonde pilot blinked at him. "Sir?" he said hesitantly. The General smirked at him, dropping a hand on his shoulder. "Go show that maverick what it means to mess with the Guardian Force," he said softly. 

Thomas saluted him and nodded. "You got it sir." He turned to the others and smiled at them, pausing when he noticed something. "Hey, where's Irvine?" Moonbei shrugged and shook her head. "He's still fumed about that message Raven sent; he's probably gone to take it out on some poor punching bag or something." Thomas looked down but nodded all the same. *I wonder why he's so ticked about it? Probably because he can't help out, I'll bet…* The blonde Lieutenant beamed up at them. "Well, I guess I'll be going now!" he said almost too happily. 

Fiona stepped over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Remember what I said Thomas; you and Van are to come back alive!" she gave him a stern reminder. He grinned sheepishly at her and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure thing Fiona! I'll remember!" 

Without further delay, the younger Schubaltz turned on his heel and strode quickly towards his Zoid, climbing inside and sealing himself in with a wave. He took in a deep breath and nodded to himself. "Come on now Thomas, everyone is counting on you; especially Miss Fiona!" he told himself in a determined voice. "I'm not about to let them – _or _Van – down!" With a hearty chuckle of confidence, Thomas steered the D-Bison out of the hanger and away from the base; fully prepared to take on Raven. Well, at least that's what he was hoping for; in truth, his heart was pounding in his chest as his Zoid ran across the rain soaked desert. 

A few scant minutes later, Lieutenant Schubaltz had arrived at the place where Raven planned to meet him. He peered around the area warily; every nerve on edge as if he were waiting for a muzzle flair, an explosion, anything… He swallowed hard. "Beek, can you tell me if he's here or not?" 

The AI whistled at him and he breathed a sigh of relief. "That's strange… I'm right on time," he muttered quietly. He blinked and eventually frowned at his screen; it showed nothing more than the surrounding desert and a few rocky outcroppings. Thomas groaned as he peered around nervously, practically jumping out of his skin when Raven's face appeared on a com window. 

"Raven!" he fought not to shriek the word. The grey haired maverick smirked and released a gravelly chuckle. "It's so nice to see after all this time I can still have this effect on even a member of the Guardian Force!" he laughed loudly. 

Thomas growled at the young pilot. "What have you done with Van!? Where is he!?" he cried. Raven's smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde pilot. "Probably bleeding to death where I left his carcass; why do you care?" Thomas felt his rage building within him. "He better be alive Raven! Or I'll-" 

"You'll what? Kill me?" Raven scoffed. "You're only my appetizer Lieutenant Thomas! The main course should be along any moment now and when he gets here, I'll have the perfect opportunity to get rid of all three of you at once!" he smiled widely at him, eyes glittering with hidden excitement. "But to answer your question, take a look at the cave to your right; I know you can see it." 

Thomas faltered for a moment before spying the aforementioned cave and zooming in on it; taking in a hitching breath when he saw something that made his blood run cold. Van, at least he thought it was him, was lying face up at the mouth of the stone formation and – he was damn sure of it – was passed out in a steadily growing pool of blood. Thomas snarled as his eyes flew back to Raven. 

"What the fuck have you done to him!?" the force behind his words almost startling himself. Raven just gazed back at him with reasoning eyes. "I showed him that it's not polite to try and leave without permission, that's all." Thomas wished the figure in front of him was real, and then he could strangle him. "Show yourself you coward!! Get out here and fight me!!" he cried. Raven shrugged. "As you wish; it's your funeral…" he said simply before the image died. 

Thomas growled softly as he waited for a moment. "Beek! Find that son of a bitch now!" A long whistled reply. "Just search for the Geno-Breaker!" he shouted and ran the D-Bison towards the cave. 

Beek shrieked the same time as an explosion rocked the massive Zoid. Thomas cried out as he was thrown to the side of his seat. "What the hell!?" He spun around to see a pair of red eyes peering through the haze of rain. "Now, now Lieutenant… The deal was for you to _fight _me; _not _to try and run off with my captive…" The owner of the red eyes stepped forward and a flash of lightning illuminated the Geno-Breaker. Thomas hissed out a soft curse and twisted the D-Bison around to face him. "Come on Beek, lock-on already!!" he cried as the AI immediately followed his order. "Megalomax _fire!!_" he screamed as loudly as he could. 

The enormous cannons lit up and a massive beam of energy exploded towards its target as the Geno-Breaker was engulfed in the rain of fire. The D-Bison took a tentative step back as the falling rain quickly smothered the debris, showing the Geno-Breaker without a mark on it. *Shit, thought as much!* Thomas chided himself. 

Raven smirked as the Geno-Breaker levelled its head at the opposing Zoid. "And now Lieutenant Schubaltz," he said almost merrily. "Your time is up. No more games; I finish this now!" The red Zoid's mouth began to fill with white-hot energy as its jaws widened further. Thomas narrowed his eyes at the sight. "Beek! Pull up the EPS now!" The AI beeped at him and the D-Bison was shrouded in a bright yellow light. Barely a heartbeat later, the massive Zoid was rocked to its core by a massive explosion and Thomas had to tense his entire body to stop himself from being thrown about. 

He gasped loudly as a second explosion hit him and he was slammed to the side harshly; hand flying to his side and clutching it tightly. Beek whistled shrilly at him and Thomas growled audibly. "I know I have to get to Van you idiot! Haven't you noticed my little problem of Raven being in my friggin' way!?" Beek chirped at him insistently and Thomas' eyes went wide as the AI brought up a bio-scan report. "Van is… Beek, you don't mean that-" 

His thoughts were cut short as another blast hit the D-Bison and the Zoid went sliding back in a heap; Thomas crying out in pain from the impact. Raven sneered at him from the Geno-Breaker. "Get up and fight me you weakling!" he snapped, the Geno-Breaker storming over to him and stomping on the motionless Zoid heavily. 

*** 

The soldier blinked, head pulling back as he did a double take on his readings. His brow furrowed in confusion as his eyes widened and he spun around from his console. "General Harlan sir!" he called. The General turned to stare at him, walking over quickly with Fiona in tow. "What is it? Is it about Lieutenant Schubaltz?" The soldier shook his head. 

"No sir; it's about the Lightning Sykes," the soldier replied quickly. Harlan raised an eyebrow. "Irvine? What's he up to? He better not be going off to play the hero!" the man barked. The soldier almost jumped at his tone. "Well it…it just disappeared sir!" he stammered. The General took a step back. "Disappeared?" Fiona's brow knit in worry. *Oh no, Irvine…* 

The console beeped at the soldier and he turned back to it, reading over the new message. "A heat signature has been found sir; bearing one-nine-five. And it's…it's damn fast sir! The radar can barely keep up with it!" the soldier blinked incredulously at his readings. "It's the Sykes, General Harlan sir. And it's headed for Raven and Lieutenant Schubaltz's location at top speed!" The General growled audibly and straightened. *That Fleihight has been a bad influence…* "Just try to get on to him and order him back here immediately! I will not have another one of my men sacrificed!" The soldier nodded and instantly started his orders. 

Fiona turned worried eyes back to Zeek and placed a soft hand on his muzzle. The Organoid growled softly and Fiona smiled sadly at him with a nod. "Yes, but please hurry…" she breathed as Zeek turned and walked swiftly out of the control room. 

*** 

Ebony eyes fluttered open, poorly masking the strain it was just to breathe. The sound of metal tearing against metal alerted his ears and he turned his head to see the hazy outlines of two Zoids fighting in the rain. Van blinked slowly and turned his head back to stare at the sky, wincing slightly. 

"Raven…" he breathed. Van took in a deep breath and held it as he strained his body into a sitting position, his legs out in front of him. He looked up and realised with great clarity that he was laying just outside of the cave in the pouring rain. A brief flash of lightning made him shield his eyes quickly and he suddenly realised his arms were unbound. 

Van stared back at the two Zoids as a wave of pain slammed into his body and he fell back, breath hitching as he cried out. He clutched his ribs tightly and gasped against the pain, oblivious to the rain as he cried out again. 

The pain was so intense that hot tears sprang to his eyes as he clenched them tight. He could barely feel them running down his face; mingling with the droplets of water that fell on his face as he whimpered, only wishing it to stop. He breathed hard for a long moment as the pain finally began to subside, the cold sweat barely visible on his forehead as the rain fell down on him. He swallowed hard as he lay there, panting hard, and opened his eyes a bare slit. 

"I can't…go on like…this…" he ground out, voice cracking strangely. Van, with great effort, rolled onto his stomach and slowly began to push himself to his knees, breath catching at intervals where his body protested violently against the action. The young pilot finally managed to pull himself into a kneeling position and he breathed hard, staring out at the losing battle. He was too injured and too exhausted to move anymore. His eyes went wide and he straightened suddenly. "Thomas!" he cried hoarsely. 

*** 

Irvine snarled as he pushed the Sykes to its limit, slamming himself to the back of his seat. His features were set to a scowl as he skirted over the desert in a flash; his surroundings a blur. It had been half an hour since Thomas had left; ten minutes since his heart had started pounding; and thirty seconds since he'd decided he'd had enough. 

*I don't care what that fucking psychopath said; he's not going to get away with this!* The Sykes leaped over a large stone mass, briefly illuminated by a flash of lightning before landing heavily and bolting off again. *No one hurts Van while I'm around!* He sneered at the land in front of him; the only part that wasn't a blur. "No one!!" 

A handful of seconds later, Irvine brought the Sykes down to a walk as he neared the area where Raven had been waiting. He peered around as he searched for any sign of battle in the pouring rain and, with a dejected sigh, shook his head and started a heat scan. The bounty hunter hoped that all this rain wouldn't interfere with the results as the findings came up. He whipped around and shot the Zoid forward a few hundred metres. 

"Shit, and I didn't see that?" he breathed as his eyes followed the lines of a very long and deep trench. "It almost looks like…" his eyes went wide. "Thomas!!" The Lightning Sykes ran over to the fallen D-Bison. "Thomas, can you hear me? Thomas? Thomas!" he cried out before his breath caught in his throat. "But that means…" he spun around as a gravelly chuckle rang in his ears. 

"How predictable!" Raven laughed again. "The bounty hunter has come for his significant other! How very touching!" Irvine's eyes went wide as Raven's face appeared on-screen with a proud smirk. "You should really see your face; it's so amusing!" he chuckled again. "And just in case you're wondering; no, neither of them are dead just yet. I was saving that for when you arrived; I wanted it to be a special occasion for all of us because there's nothing more touching than a reunion!" 

Irvine snarled at him and ran the Sykes at the Geno-Breaker full pelt, catching the maverick off-guard as the cat-like Zoid crunched its jaws down hard on the red Zoid's arm. He jumped back quickly, his reversed momentum carrying him, and deftly tore it from its place. Raven cried out as waves of electrical energy tore through the cockpit, jolting his body in pain. The Sykes jumped back to safety, landing in a low crouch and growled gutturally at him before launching itself at the Geno-Breaker again. 

"What have you done to Van!?" Irvine screamed as a massive claw ripped past the Geno-Breaker's side, metal tearing against metal. "_Where is he!?_" The Zoid whipped around to pounce on the others back, digging its claws in and biting down hard around the Geno-Breaker's neck before the red Zoid had a chance to react. Raven ground his teeth in frustration as he tried desperately to shake the other Zoid off. "Shit! Where did all this come from!?" he cried. 

The Lightning Sykes bit down hard, tearing a large gash across the intake vent as he lost his footing and flew back to land heavily in a crouch, growling deeply. The Geno-Breaker turned around slowly to level its gaze at the other Zoid, electrical energy crackling over its body. Raven snarled loudly. "How dare you!!" he cried in frustration. Irvine breathed heavily behind clenched teeth as he booted up a com window to Raven's Zoid, glaring at his image. "Where is Van?" he breathed, venom laced in his words. Raven sneered at him. "He's probably already bled to death where I left him!" Raven smirked at the expression on Irvine's face that was caught half way between rage and shock. "What? Don't believe me?" Raven's image was suddenly replaced by a shot of the entrance of the cave. He felt his heart clench painfully and he saw Van kneeling there, one hand pressed to the stone of the cave and the other wrapped tightly around his ribs as he breathed hard, blood streaming down his leg and neck. 

"Van!!" he cried. He started the Lightning Sykes forward, taking only two steps before the Geno-Breaker jumped in front of him. "Uh uh uh… The deal was if you could beat me; then he's all yours!" Irvine froze. "Me? But you sent the message-" Raven smirked. "To Thomas? Oh please; that pathetic excuse for a soldier couldn't beat me in a million years! Besides, it was you I was really after; not him! 

"You see," he said softly, as if he were divulging some great secret. "Van and I had a little talk before you got here; it seems I was right in thinking he had a thing for you after all. So I thought to myself wouldn't it be most exciting to see what would happen if my orders weren't followed?" he released a gravelly chuckle. "And look what happens; Irvine the great bounty hunter shows up to save the day! Just as predicted!" Irvine felt a twinge of rage run through his body like wildfire but otherwise stopped himself. "Then I guess it's up to me to finish the job…" he replied barely above a whisper. 

"Eh? What are you on about!?" Raven snapped. Irvine narrowed his gaze at the Geno-Breaker. "Two and a half weeks ago, Van tried to stop you from causing anymore pain! Now I'm here to finish the _job!!_" He slammed the Sykes forward as fast as it would go, ramming the Geno-Breaker with all of his strength. The red Zoid stumbled back a few steps and Raven snarled at him. "You'll pay for this!" he screamed in fury and shot a massive claw out towards the Sykes, catching it on the leg and whipping the Zoid upwards. Irvine cried out as he flew through the air towards the Geno-Breaker, watching for a few scant seconds as the red Zoid aimed its open maw at the oncoming Sykes. 

Raven fired the immense beam of light straight at the oncoming Lightning Sykes, watching as it was instantly blown back. The Sykes landed on the ground a few hundred metres away with a sickening crack of metal and rebounded against the earth, tumbling to a stop further away still. Electrical energy tore over it in massive arcs of blue and white and Irvine grit his teeth against the pain, his whole body tensing as he cried out behind clenched teeth. 

The grey haired maverick narrowed his eyes at the motionless hulk of the Sykes, a soft curse escaping his lips. "He must have had that hopeless shield installed as well," he muttered as a smirk crossed his features. "Oh well…it doesn't matter now, he won't be getting up for a long time." Raven chuckled to himself as he opened the cockpit and stood out on the open hatch, a hand resting on his hip as he gloated over his sudden victory. "I'm disappointed…" he breathed to himself. "I would have thought he'd be more of a challenge than that…" 

He chuckled loudly and pulled out his gun. "Oh well, too bad," he smirked as he took aim at Van. "But even though you came, the deal still stands, and you broke that deal Irvine!" his smirk twisted into a sneer of almost sheer pleasure as he narrowed his gaze and pulled the trigger. Van looked up in the same instant as Irvine screamed his name, a vacant sadness crossing his face as he stared up at Raven. 

He never felt the bullet tear through his flesh, only the impact that threw him backward so his body slammed against the stone barrier behind him and his head cracked sickeningly against it. He leant there for a second before his legs gave way and he slid down the stone, a trail of blood smearing across the jagged rock in his wake. "Ir…vine…" he breathed quietly before his eyes slid shut and he fell forward on the ground, unmoving. 

Irvine felt his entire world narrow to a single focus as his breath lodged in his throat and his heart stopped. He barely noticed as a flash of lightning streaked overhead and struck the earth between him and the cave. He could only see Van as he lay motionless. He could only hear Raven's cold laughter ringing in his ears. He could only taste how dry his mouth was. Irvine suddenly took in a shaky breath as his eyes began to burn with tears of disbelief. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he could suddenly recall, clearer than ever before, every word the two had shared; every smile that had been given. Tears streamed down his face as he turned his eyes back to Raven. 

"You…" he choked out, vision blurring uncontrollably as he glared death at Raven. "Van was… He just…" his breathing was shaky and shallow as his hands clenched tightly around the controls of the Lightning Sykes. "Van…" he breathed in a high whisper, voice catching. Irvine snapped his head up as he heard a long sound that was caught between a feral roar and a howl and saw Zeek standing over Van's motionless body. "Zeek…" he breathed. "_Zeek!!_" he cried with all of his strength. 

The Organoid dissolved in a flash of light and shot straight up, twisting around in a perfect arc and descending straight towards the Lightning Sykes. Irvine cried out in surprise as the entire Zoid was lost in a wash of light and instantly jumped to its feet. Zeek growled from the Zoid Core and Irvine snapped his head up to meet Raven's startled gaze, narrowing his mauve gaze at the maverick. "_Go Zeek!!_" he screamed as the Lightning Sykes shot forward and whipped up its shield in an instant, charging towards the Geno-Breaker at full throttle. 

Raven cried out in surprise at the charging Zoid. "What's this!?" He screamed as the Sykes absolutely slammed into it with everything it had and more. Raven screamed out as he was thrown violently from the open cockpit and landed heavily some hundred metres away in a crumpled heap. Irvine breathed heavily, still in the shock of everything as he shot his gaze back up to Van and felt his heart tighten again. "Van!" he cried as fresh tears sprang to his eyes. He ran the Zoid over to the high cave entrance and shoved the cockpit open, leaping out and nearly falling over himself in an attempt to run over to Van's motionless form. 

"Van…!" his breath caught in his throat as he fell next to him in the mud. Irvine turned him over quickly and bit his bottom lip as he saw the blood and muck that stained his entire front. *He won't be… He won't be… He won't…* his mind chanted in an effort to calm himself down as he hastily checked for a pulse. "Shit!" his voice cracked and he ripped his headband off, tying it tightly around the wound on his leg in an effort to stop some of the bleeding. 

Irvine pulled one of his knee guards off as he pressed his knee to the fresh wound on his chest in an effort to stop the bleeding. "Come on Van, come on… Don't quit on me dammit!" he said, more for himself than anything else. He quickly pressed the heel of his palm to Van's sternum, pushing down had as tears streamed down his face. He watched Van's face intently as he pushed again and again and again, praying for a sigh; a twitch; anything to prove his dreaded thoughts wrong. 

"Van, for fuck's sake, _wake up dammit!!_" Irvine screamed and slammed his fist down on the teen's chest. "You're not going to die out here!" he slammed down again. "I won't let you; you hear me!?" he cried and slammed his fist down again. His breath hitched as it caught in his throat; a choked sob escaping him as stopped and swallowed hard. Irvine cried out in frustration before his breathing calmed down and he pressed his mouth to Van's, pushing air into his lungs. The bounty hunter turned to watch as Van's chest rose and fell and he felt his warm breath on his cheek before he breathed into him again. 

Irvine pulled back and pressed his hand to the young pilot's chest again. "You won't die!" he cried as he pushed down rhythmically on the teen's chest, tears streaming down his cheeks to drop to the ground like the rain around him. "Wake up Van, please!!" he sobbed loudly. He barely heard the scrape of stone behind him over the rain and his own sobs, and he twisted around to see that Raven had pulled himself up to where the two were, gun shakily aimed at Irvine. 

"He stays…dead…and you…" he grated painfully as rage flash behind his eyes. "Can join him!!" he screamed as his finger squeezed around the trigger. A flash of silver shot past Irvine and the bullet whizzed past his head, skimming his hair by sheer millimetres as Zeek tackled the maverick and crushed the gun in his jaws, whapping his tail down onto his head and rendering him unconscious. Irvine nodded to Zeek and turned back to Van, leaning down and pressing his mouth to his again. He breathed into him and turned to watch his chest rise and fall as before, repeating it before he pressed his hands to his chest again. 

"Van, please!" he cried, pushing down with all of his strength as his tears dropped onto the teen's chest. "Come on Van!!" Irvine slammed his fist down on his chest again as he sobbed loudly. *This isn't happening… This isn't happening… Oh God, this isn't real!! It _isn't!!_* his mind screamed as he collapsed onto Van's chest and cried without abandon, fists clenching painfully as his shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. A bolt of lightning lit up the skies briefly before he arched his back as he shot back up and released an ear-piercing wail of agony. 

_"VAAAAAN!!!_" 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Raven: Hey! Why are you trying to kill me!?  
Van: You!? What about me!?  
Raven: Who cares about you!?  
Van: Better watch your mouth Raven!  
Raven: *sing-songy voice* Oh I'm sorry! Maybe I'd better apologise to you!  
Van: Well it's not because you're being mean...  
Raven: Oh? And what's so bad that- *turns around* Oh crud...  
*Chan tackles him from behind in a wild brawl with several fireballs being thrown about in the mix*  
Van: *sweatdrops* That's why... Man, that's gotta hurt... *turns to readers* General surgeons health warning: never, _ever_ piss Chan off by saying bad things about me!  
Chan: *sweetly from the calming dust* You got it Van!  
*Raven just groans in pain and Chan whaps him on the head*  
Chan: Shut it you! Bad Raven! BAD!! No bad-mouthing Van-kun or I kick your ass again!  
Irvine: I don't want to know... *notices Van and glomps him* You're ali~ive!!  
Van: You stole my line!!  
Irvine: But *you're* the near-dead guy!!  
Van: Oh yeah... 


	14. Quietly Standing In The Door

Ack, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to come out but my brain got stuck on plot-hole and I got bad writers block from it... Aw shight... *beams* But I'm back to fack up the lives of those bishounen-like pilots of the Zoids world! Wa~ai!! BTW, the title comes from a line in "Hikari" by Utada Hikaru. Meh, I liked it good and it seemed to fit the chapter so it stuck (good song by the way; download it now! Chan commands you!).  
I proved just how heartless I am today by watching th ep "The Ancient Memory" and laughing my ass off at the end where Fiona disappears while screaming at the top of my voice "Lookit! Laugh at his pain! Do it!!" All while at the same time my shounen-ai mad mind went into overtime thinking of what possibilities Van had with Fiona out of the picture (sad, I know; I need to get my mind out of the proverbial gutter!). *sigh* Oh well... I know it's a little late, but there's a new piccy up on mah site (well, it's about 2 weeks old now).  
Bah, people-who-fame-and-shame-me time:  
To Maelgwyn: Yay! Papaya for me! But fear not; Thomas shall not die (I'm not that mean to lil' Thomy-kun; he's my comic relief!). To Ninetails: I'm sorry for making you cry so much that you had to let Fuuma take over! How about a lil Thomas/Raven to cheer you up? I've always wanted to do one of those! (It might actually turn out to be another good one!) To FM BuuSaix: Wa~ai! Thankies heaps!! To Me: More shall come!!!! To Aqua Rhapsody: *cringes from glare* My bad; I didn't mean to take so long! Ech, you have evil glare... To Flame Shadow: Well I want it to be sad so when the good stuff finally comes around it leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling (Raven: I think I'm gonna be sick... Chan: Shuddup). Thanks all who still love this fic and sorry again about the wait!! 

Disclaimer: No Zoids for me...but I wanna own it and screw with the charas lives! Shounen-ai for all!! 

Warnings: Blood and an iddy bit of angst (well, just a touch of blood...). This chapter is ta~ame... 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part fourteen 

Quietly Standing In The Door 

  
  


The bounty hunter felt his entire world crumbling down around him as he lay across the motionless form of Van Fleihight. He continued to sob loudly as the rain fell heavily around them, the sound failing to mask his cries of despair. His entire body was shaking from a mixture of cold and painful loss and pulled back to run a shaky hand through onyx hair as he stared at Van's soft features. Irvine sobbed again as he pulled the teen close and cradled his shoulders in his arms. 

"God I'm sorry!" he cried, nearly choking on his breath as he clenched his eyes tight. "I should've come sooner!" Irvine hugged Van's lifeless body closer as tears streamed down his face. *I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…* His whole body froze and he snapped his eyes open, staring hard at Van's face. "Van…?" He could have sworn he heard- 

There! Irvine's eyes flew wide open and he leant his head down, listening intently. "Van!" he cried as he pulled back again. The black haired youth suddenly coughed violently; Irvine quickly helped him into a sitting position as he gasped heavily, eyes wide. Irvine was caught between laughing and crying as he rubbed his back gently. "Van!" he said loudly and hugged the youth fiercely. 

Van cried out and Irvine instantly pulled back, watching as Van pulled his knees up close to his chest and he hugged his mid-section tightly. Tears welled in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks as his entire body was wracked with wave after wave of pain. "Hurts…" he strained, voice barely above a whisper. "Ahh…stop…it…!" his face screwed up with pain. "Oh God it hurts!!" he screamed. 

"Van, hold on!" Irvine cried and turned to the silver Organoid. "Zeek, I need you to look after Thomas, I have to-" Zeek gave a throaty cry and Irvine snapped his eyes back to Van. The teen was wavering in his place and finally, with a pain laced groan, slumped to the side where Irvine hastily caught him. "Shit!" he breathed, checking his pulse again. "He's passed out… Oh God this is all my fault!" he chided himself. 

"Not a…chance…" a raspy voice breathed heavily from next to him and Irvine looked up to see Thomas standing there, albeit in obvious pain, with one had tightly clutching his ribs. "Raven's gone, right? That means…that you defeated the Geno-Breaker…single-handedly…" Thomas groaned as he wavered on the spot and held up a hand when Irvine started to say something. "Don't worry about me… I've taken worse… You just get Van back to the base and I'll stay here and wait for a recovery unit," the blonde pilot said with a smile. 

"Thomas! You're injured! I can't just leave you like-" Thomas glared at him and released a soft growl. "Just go dammit!" he snapped, silencing Irvine. "The mission is complete so just get back there and save that idiot's life before I make you lose yours!" Irvine sighed and stood up, Van cradled in his arms as he turned to Zeek. "Stay with Thomas." A confused growl was his reply. "Just…stay here…" 

Irvine turned and walked back to the Lightning Sykes, staring at Van's painful expression. The teen slept huddled in his arms, his head softly resting against Irvine's chest as he released a soft moan every now and again. The bounty hunter winced when he saw the blood seeping through the teen's shirt; it was getting pretty bad, even though the heavy rain was washing away some of it. Van shivered softly and Irvine clutched him tighter and tore his gaze away as he neared the Lightning Sykes, he needed to focus on getting Van back to safety. 

Irvine sat down in the open cockpit of the Sykes as gently as he could with Van still in his arms. He swallowed hard as he sealed them in, staring intently at Van's face as the pounding rain lowered to a dull hum in the closed cockpit. *I understand I couldn't live a single day without you…* Irvine clenched his eyes tight as he fought back the tears that one line brought up. "God dammit…don't think about it Irvine… Van's not going to quit on you!" Irvine stared straight ahead as he opened his eyes and clutched the controls of the Lightning Sykes tightly, starting it up quickly. 

The bounty hunter bit his bottom lip as tears still streamed down his face while the Sykes ran back to the base. He lifted a hand to wipe them away quickly. "Dammit, stop crying!" he sniffled loudly as he focused on the desert in front of him. "You're no good if you can't see what's in front of you!" he snapped at himself. 

He was just about to wipe away some more fresh tears when a soft hand did it for him. Irvine locked startled mauve eyes onto half closed ebony ones and slowly brought the Sykes to a stop. "Van? You're awake?" he whispered. *Not good; he keeps slipping in and out of consciousness!* Van stared up at him and smiled weakly as he gently held Irvine's face. "We'll never be apart as long as I still breathe, remember…?" 

Irvine lost it there and then; he gave a huff of a laugh as his tears fell harder than ever as he reached up and held Van's hand in place. He smiled at him through his tears. "Tease…" he managed to whisper out before sniffling again. Van grinned weakly at him as tears filled his eyes. "And…you're not…?" he breathed, voice strained. The bounty hunter lifted his hand from Van's, running it through his hair to the back of his head as he leant down and kissed him softly. Van's tears continued to flow as he laced his fingers through Irvine's hair and held him close. 

When they finally parted, Van was breathing raggedly as tears blurred his vision. "Irvine…" he breathed softly as the bounty hunter clutched his hand tightly, tears running down his cheeks. "I'm here Van; don't worry…" the bounty hunter whispered softly as Van's eyes pleaded with him. "Irvine…!" he said more urgently. Irvine felt as Van's ragged breathing began to ease as he moaned softly as his eyelids grew heavy again. "Van, you have to stay awake! Van!!" Irvine cried hastily as he gripped the teen's hand tighter. 

Van mumbled something incoherent as his body relaxed and his head fell to the side, eyes sliding shut again. "Van! Aw shit…" Irvine ground out and slammed the Lightning Sykes forward again, shooting across the desert as a bolt of lightning briefly illuminated his path. He blinked suddenly, raising a hand to touch his fingers to his lips. Irvine froze when he saw a large smear of blood across his fingers before he growled and balled his fist, slamming it back onto the controls. *Shit, shit, shit, shit…!! I never should have stopped!* Irvine narrowed his eyes and growled at the desert. "Come on Lightning Sykes! I know you can go faster; you have to for Van's sake!" he cried to the Zoid. The Sykes released a guttural sound and Irvine was pushed back in his seat as the Zoid turned it up a notch. "Alright! This is more like it!" he yelled loudly. "Just please hold on a little longer Van; we're almost there!" 

*** 

Irvine sighed as he fell down onto a nearby seat, thoroughly exhausted. He leant his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, fighting back the tears he knew would come out later. The recovery team that had been sent out to find Thomas had done so almost two hours ago and were just making their way back to base now. Irvine was worried; the doctor at the infirmary took one look at Van and nearly fainted. Not a good sign. The bounty hunter sighed again as he raised a hand to cover his eyes; worried was an understatement. 

"Irvine!" a high voice cried and he snapped his head around to stare at Moonbei and Fiona running up to him. He forced a weak smile as he stood up and greeted them. "Hey you two…" Moonbei stared at him wide-eyed, stopping suddenly. "Irvine, are you…?" she pointed to his overalls and he followed her gaze, noticing for the first time that they were completely covered in Van's blood. 

He winced and stared back up at her. "It's all Van's," he breathed softly, voice catching in his throat. He snarled and balled his fists tight. "It's all my fault! If I hadn't of gone and followed Thomas then Van would still be okay dammit!" Irvine sighed heavily and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. "It's my entire fault…" he breathed. A hand fell to his arm and he opened his eyes to stare into Fiona's as the girl smiled up at him. 

"It's not Irvine…" she said softly. "You don't know that it was your fault; you might have just _saved _Van from Raven!" she said with a hopeful smile. Irvine turned his gaze away from her and sighed. "I don't know that for sure though…" he whispered. *You won't be able to hug me and yell at me enough to get that out of my system,* he frowned to himself as Van's words sprang to mind. *I feel like such an ass…* 

Irvine closed his eyes again and was about to sit down again when the doors to the infirmary opened and a nurse walked out, eyeing the three of them warily. "I have a message from the doctor," she said and cleared her throat nervously. "You can all go in and see Lieutenant Fleihight now if you want to." 

Moonbei's eyes lit up and a broad smile covered her face. "You mean he's awake now?" she asked hopefully. The nurse lowered her gaze. "Not exactly. He's been sedated, as he kept drifting in and out of consciousness, so that should keep him asleep for the next day or two." Irvine fought not to release an exasperated sigh. "So where is he?" he snapped loudly, making the girl jump. "H-he's just in here; follow me please," she said weakly as she stared nervously at Irvine. 

The nurse led them through the infirmary to a closed door, turning to them with a worried expression on her face. "Now please, don't be alarmed if he keeps waking up and drifting off again. He keeps trying to fight the sedative so if you do start talking to him, don't get all indignant if he falls asleep again," she smiled at them and turned on her heel, walking away quickly before Irvine had a chance to snap at her again. "Oh and one more thing," she stopped suddenly and turned around again. "I'll be back in another two hours to check on him if you need anything." She smiled once more and left. 

Moonbei took in a deep breath, turning to the door and pressing her hand to it. "Well, here goes. Let's see if he managed to kill himself this time," she joked weakly and pushed it open, stepping inside. "Oh Van…" she whispered sadly as the others came in behind her. Fiona's hands went to her mouth as she gasped and ran to his side. 

The young pilot lay asleep with his head to the side, a large bandage around his head and a few patches across his face. Another long bandage went all the way up his arm and another went around his middle; an obvious lump where the swabbing underneath was sitting. Fiona started to reach out to him but her hand caught half way as tears welled in her eyes. "Van…oh God, what happened to you…" she breathed, emotion tugging at her voice. 

Irvine couldn't tear his eyes away as he swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. His legs were barely holding him up as he stared at Van's face, and he took in a shaky breath. Moonbei caught his look and placed a hand softly on his arm. Irvine turned to stare at her, as anguish became a palpable emotion on his face. 

"Will you be okay?" she whispered softly to him, so as not to alert Fiona. He cast his eyes downwards and nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'll…I'll just stay here until he wakes up…" he replied quietly. Moonbei gave him a quick smile and ruffled his hair quickly. "Don't worry, he'll be back to annoy us before long." Irvine smiled sadly at her as he turned his eyes back to Van. "I know…" 

"Hey, Fiona," Moonbei said to the blonde as she turned back to them. "Come on you, it's well past three in the morning and you haven't slept since two days ago," she reminded her with a raise of an eyebrow. Fiona hesitated, sighed, and then nodded quickly before smiling back at Moonbei. "You're right; I have been pushing myself pretty hard these past few days. I really need to unwind," she said with a sigh. "Too much stress…" 

The female transporter grinned at her friend. "Come on then girl, I'll help you relax some!" Moonbei said as she strode over to Fiona and grabbed her hand, walking her to the door. "If you need us, we'll be in Fiona's room. Night Irvine!" she waved as she pulled the Zoidian through the door. "Goodnight Irvine, see you tomorrow!" Fiona called as she was dragged away. Irvine waved his goodbyes and shut the door behind them, his hand still resting on the handle as he turned to look at Van. He smiled sadly to himself and sighed lightly, pulling away as he walked over to the sleeping pilot and sat on the bed next to him. 

Irvine reached out to softly run his hand through the teen's hair; the doctors had mussed it up more than usual. The bounty hunter found himself smiling as gently held his face and simply gazed at him. Even past all the bandages and the paleness of his skin, Irvine still thought he looked perfect. He leant down and closed his eyes as he softly kissed his forehead, staying there for a moment. "Get well soon Van…" he breathed as he pulled back slightly before clutching the teen's hand and lacing their fingers together. "Don't worry; I'll stay with you…" he smiled softly at him. 

*** 

Barely twelve hours later Moonbei yawned as she walked into the infirmary. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she pushed open the door to Van's room, chuckled softly when she saw the other occupant. Irvine had pulled a chair up next to the bed and was lying on his folded arms next to Van's sleeping form. Moonbei smirked when she heard the bounty hunter snoring softly and walked up to him. 

She grinned maliciously and reached out to pinch his nose shut, waiting for a few seconds. Irvine's eyes shot bolt open as he began to cough and gasp for air, stopping to glare at Moonbei. "Yeah; g'morning to you too…" he grumbled as his breathing returned. Moonbei giggled softly and smirked at him. 

"Sorry, but it seemed too good to pass up," she grinned sheepishly at him as Irvine just frowned at her. The girl sighed and turned to stare at Van. "How's he doing?" Irvine followed her gaze to stare softly at Van's face and a sad smile touched his lips. "He's fine. He was saying a few things in his sleep a few times during the night but other than that, he's slept soundly," Irvine gave a soft huff of a laugh. "He's a fighter alright." Moonbei rested a hand softly on his shoulder and smiled at the young pilot. 

"That's our Van, never gives up even if it means nearly killing himself to do so," Moonbei said softly and Irvine's gaze lowered. "He almost did this time Moonbei…" he breathed. "All I could do was watch as Raven pulled that trigger… I was powerless to stop him…" Moonbei sighed and shook her head. "Irvine, you nut, are you forgetting just who it was that ran out there to save him? If it weren't for you then Van would have died out there! From the look of Thomas' Zoid, I don't think _he _could've dragged Van all the way back here," she reasoned with him. "Irvine if you hadn't of gone then Van would have bled to death and then _none _of us would be seeing him again." 

Irvine narrowed his gaze but nodded all the same. "I guess so," he breathed and turned to stare up at Moonbei. "Hey, how's Fiona? She seemed pretty upset last night," he asked. Moonbei sighed and turned away. "Well, she was pretty shaken up over this whole thing. I mean, it's not every day that one of your best friends is taken hostage by a complete psychopath and then comes back nearly dead and bleeding all over the place." Irvine chuckled at her graceful summation before stopping again, a frown crossing his features. "I've just got one question; how did Zeek get out there?" 

Moonbei shrugged innocently. "After you took off like a bat out of hell, I saw Fiona say something to Zeek; I guess she was worried about you or something," she sighed softly. "Though why anyone would be worried about _you _is another thing altogether," she said and sneered at the bounty hunter as he just poked his tongue out at her. "You are such a pain in the ass sometimes, Moonbei…" he complained softly. Moonbei rolled her eyes. "And you're not? God, it's not like you're Mister Perfect!" He grinned broadly at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well at least I'm trying, unlike _some _people who don't even put in the effort!" Moonbei punched his arm playfully. "You're mean!" she shot at him. "Just returning the favour Moonbei. You started it!" Irvine grinned at her. 

"You're both too loud…" a strained voice said from next to them, making them nearly jump out of their skins. Two pairs of eyes locked onto ebony depths as Van smiled weakly back at them, eyes still half-closed. "Hey there…" he breathed barely above a whisper. "Van you great dolt! You scared us half to death!" Moonbei cried through her broad smile. Irvine laughed as his arms went around Van's neck and he hugged him close. "Pain…" he breathed in his ear. Van chuckled softly as his arms wrapped gently around Irvine's shoulders. 

"Yeah and you're a meanie…" Van whispered softly before Irvine pulled back and Van met Moonbei's gaze. "Hey Moonbei… How you been?" She smiled at him and shrugged. "Oh same old; I'd ask you the same but I can already guess your smart-ass remark." Van grinned at her as his gaze rose to the ceiling. "Man I feel like I've been through the wringer…" he whispered almost to himself. "Hey Moonbei, do you mind if-" 

The female transporter held up a hand to silence him. "Say no more my near dead friend; consider me gone. Just don't go dieing on us until I've had breakfast." Irvine raised an eyebrow at her as she clicked the door shut behind her. *But it's three in the afternoon… Weird Moonbei logic; only makes sense to her to have breakfast in the afternoon…* His thoughts were cut off as a warm hand reached up to gently hold his face and he turned to meet Van's ebony gaze, a strange fear shining behind their surface. The young pilot closed his eyes as he pulled Irvine down for a long kiss, needing it more than wanting it. His hand left Irvine's face and ran to the back of his neck, holding him there as the bounty hunter returned the intimate brush. Van felt the sting of tears in his eyes but he clenched his eyes tight, forcing them away. 

*I won't start crying, dammit; I won't…* he told himself rhythmically as he slowly pulled back, staring into Irvine's eyes as his hand moved to hold his face gently again. "I had the worst thought run through my head when Raven had me…" he said softly as his eyes searched Irvine's; his other hand reaching up to hold his face gently. "What would have happened if I never saw you again?" he paused to swallow against the lump in his throat. "It was the most fear I've ever felt in my entire life… More so then when I nearly lost Zeek…" 

Irvine reached up to pull Van's hands from his face, lacing their fingers together as he smiled sadly down at him. "Van… When Raven sent that message…" he shook his head sadly as he stared into Van's eyes. "I was so furious; all I could think of was getting to you and beating the living hell out of him for doing that to you." Van smiled up at him warmly and chuckled softly. "Well I would have done that myself but I was unconscious most of the time; believe me, I wanted to kick his ass too…" Irvine grinned at him. 

"Always have to be the hero huh?" he said jokingly. Van smiled innocently up at him. "Of course! Can you imagine how much praise from General Harlan I'd get if I had of escaped from Raven with just my bare hands?" he grinned up at him. "I'd be a walking miracle in his eyes!" Irvine raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "Well 'walking miracle', how about you actually recover first and _then _we can see about you strutting around the place." 

Van chuckled and nodded at him, stifling a yawn. "Damn I'm tired…" he muttered, eyelids growing heavy all of a sudden as he felt a great weariness wash over him. Irvine blinked at him in surprise. "Van? Are you alright?" The young pilot nodded softly. "Yeah, just…really tired all of…a sudden…" his voice trailed off as he began to nod off. Irvine sighed softly. "It's just the sedative knocking you out again; you shouldn't have fought them off this long, you idiot." Van's eyes fluttered open briefly. "And you're still…a pain in the ass…" he smiled weakly before he closed his eyes and his body succumbed to sleep. Irvine rolled his eyes and shook his head. "There he goes; trying to prove himself again by staying awake…" he chuckled softly and gave his hands a gently squeeze. "You're only going to kill yourself faster you wacko…" 

Irvine sighed as he released Van's hands and stood up silently, staring down at him with a smile. He ran his fingers through the black tresses softly before leaning down and kissing his forehead softly. "I'll be back soon; I need coffee to keep myself awake so I can actually watch over your helpless ass," Irvine remarked softly and walked over to the door. He opened it quickly and heard a soft yelp from the other side; looking around it with an eyebrow raised. 

"Moonbei!? What the hell are you doing here?" he shot at her angrily. Moonbei faltered as she stepped back a few paces. "Well ah…I was…" she laughed quickly and grinned at him. "You two were kinda quiet in there so being the good person I was I hung around in case Van died or anything!" she laughed again as Irvine glared at her. "You know something Moonbei…" he said icily as he stepped over to her. She swallowed nervously. "Y-yeah…Irvine…?" Irvine sighed and shook his head, giving the girl a droll look. "You're a bigger pervert than I first thought…" 

Moonbei breathed a sigh of relief on the inside and grinned up at him. "Someone has to fill in for Van!" Irvine shot her a questioning look and she rolled her eyes at him. "He's still unconscious, remember? Geez, and I thought my memory was bad…" she smirked at him. "At least I can remember past ten seconds where _my _other half is!" Irvine's eyes went wide. "You've got an other half? _Moonbei _has an other half? This _is _the same girl that flirts with every officer she sees, right?" Irvine blinked at her in shock. 

Moonbei shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not…" she smiled at him. "Now, how about some breakfast? Man I could use a good dose of caffeine right about now!" she chuckled and started to walk off. Irvine caught up to her and stared at her, a puzzled look still on his face. "No, no, I'm serious! You're seeing someone?" Irvine pressed. "Who is it huh? Is it anyone I know?" Moonbei sighed and shook her head, smirking at him. "Well if you're absolutely _dieing _to know!" she began. "It _is _someone you know and I'm not going past that! Now come on; wake up juice awaits!" Moonbei hummed merrily to herself as she kept walking with Irvine in tow. 

A few minutes later they reached the cafeteria and were thoroughly enjoying their caffeine fix. Moonbei sighed contentedly as she leant back in her chair and took a long draught form her cup. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back across the chair, staring skywards. A shadow fell across her and she opened her eyes, blinking at the sudden disturbance. She cried out and nearly fell back in her chair; her cup almost falling out of her hand as she did so. 

"Thomas you jerk!!" she cried, sitting bolt upright and glaring at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't just run around and scare people like that!!" she snapped at him. He laughed weakly and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that…" he sat down next to the two of them, taking a sip from his own cup. "So how's Van been?" he asked softly. Moonbei sighed and shrugged at him. "Well apart from being unconscious most of the time, he's fine. Of course, if you call being shot twice, having a broken hand and losing most of your blood _fine_, then he's doing just great…" 

Thomas groaned in response. "Man, Raven sure did a number on him… Van's definitely going to be out for his blood when he wakes up," Thomas took a long sip from his cup and sighed, turning away as he leant back in his chair. "Not to mention mine…" Irvine raised an eyebrow at him. "Come again? Why would he want to kill you?" he asked in surprise. Thomas turned to stare at him. "Because I failed! I was the one sent out there to rescue him and I failed miserably; you had to come out and save both our asses! Van's going to kick mine for sure!" 

Moonbei chuckled and shook her head. "Thomas, you are so dense sometimes…" she remarked softly. He turned to glare wide-eyed at her. "What the hell are you talking about!?" he cried. Moonbei simply smiled at him. "Van's not going to hate you for not beating Raven; hell, anyone should be _praising _you for lasting that long against him single-handedly!" She sighed at his expression. "Thomas, relax; I don't think Van would even have the _energy _in him to even _think _about kicking your ass." 

The blonde lieutenant held her gaze for a moment longer before he sighed and took another sip from his coffee. "I guess so… But I still feel like it's somewhat my fault for letting that happen to him…" Irvine laughed at him and dropped a hand to his shoulder. "Don't even start to think that Thomas! It'll get you nowhere fast!" he chuckled again and literally slammed back his coffee, placing the cup back on the table with an audible thunk before he stood up quickly. "I'm going to head back to the infirmary to keep watch on him again; scream loudly if you need me." 

Moonbei and Thomas watched him leave the cafeteria, the former sighing heavily and shaking her head before taking a long draught from her cup. Thomas turned to raise an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter Moonbei?" he asked quietly. She stared sadly at the door where the bounty hunter had just left and sighed again, placing her cup on the table. "I'm worried about him…" Thomas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he was injured pretty badly and-" 

"No, I mean Irvine," Moonbei cut him off and Thomas' brow furrowed in confusion. "Irvine? Why are you worried about him?" Moonbei shrugged. "He's been pushing himself so hard lately. I mean, Van's like his only best friend and he's just taking this thing seriously to heart," Moonbei sighed softly as her gaze dropped to the floor. "I know it's just killing him to watch Van lying there and knowing that's all he can do. If I know Irvine, he's going to spend every second he can by Van's side in the hopes that it'll wake him sooner." 

Thomas' expression softened and he stared back at Moonbei. "I guess so; he and Van are pretty good friends," he paused as something nagged at him from the corner of his mind. "But that would mean he's been awake for about thirty-six hours now, wouldn't it? If he's going to try and stay awake until Van recovers then he's going to end up collapsing from exhaustion!" Moonbei shook her head sadly. "Actually Thomas, he's been awake for about _two _and a half days straight now…" Thomas' eyes shot wide open and he stared at her in shock. Moonbei shrugged at his expression. "He's been worried out of sleep since Van was first taken by Raven and it's going to start wearing down on him soon… I'm really worried about him…" 

The blonde lieutenant lowered his gaze and sighed. *Irvine won't let this get to him; Van won't let him,* he thought suddenly. *He and Van are going to be just fine…* Thomas smiled up at Moonbei, dropping a hand to her shoulder as she turned to stare at him in wonder. "Van's going to get better faster than ever and Irvine's going to be just fine. If anyone can pull through this, it's them; you'll see." Moonbei smiled warmly back at him and nodded. "Yeah, they're both strong enough to get through anything together… Even if it manages to damn near kill them in the process!" Moonbei and Thomas laughed it off, oblivious to a certain bounty hunter that stood just outside the door and heard every word with a warm smile on his face. 

*Strong enough to get through anything together…* Irvine smiled to himself and close his eyes. *Thanks Moonbei…* 

  
TBC 

  
  
  
Chan: *looking around worriedly* Van, have you seen my new muse?  
Van: You mean that wierd little white puffball thing that's wandering around and clutching it's head while screaming its lungs out like it's losing an arm or something?  
Chan: Yeah that's the one. *teary eyed* Moomu-chan doko~o??  
Van: *sweatdrop* Moomu-chan? Your muse's name is Moomu? *snickers*  
Chan: *glares at Van who immediately shuts up* Better. Or do you want to stay dead!?  
Van: I'll behave! I'll even _find _the puffball for you!  
Chan: *glomps Van viciously* Thankies heaps Van-kun!!  
Van: *pulling himself from death-grip* Sure, sure... *runs off* Moomu! Hey puffball!!  
Random Moogle: Someone call?  
Van: What the hell? _You're_ Chan's muse?  
Moomu: Yup, Mail Order Moogle Muse number 23 at yer service! *sweatdrops* Known to Chan as Moomu...  
Van: *snickers* Um...she's looking for you, you know. She's starting to blame you for this chapter alone.  
Moomu: Already!? Shight, I get delivered five days overdue and she's already crawling up my-  
Chan: MOOMU!!! *runs at the Moogle and tackles it wildly*  
*Moomu screams as he's violently glomped by Chan*  
Chan: I was so~o worried about you Moomu-chan!!  
Moomu: *strangling* Help...me...!!! 


	15. Hush My Love, Now Don't You Cry

Hoofah...sorry this one took so long to come out folks! I was busy writing a Thomas/Raven ficcie and I was kinda stuck in that notion for a while (I couldn't get back into Van/Irvine!? *faints*). My bad, I know... But here for your goggling pleasure (and my aching fingers delight!) is the final installment to Broken! *mad cheering from Moomu before Chan kicks him* Can it! You made me slow at writing this one!! Anyhoo, I had some serious fun writing the bit between Irvine and the nurse; I simply love it to bits, I can't help it! And Thomas is so funny in the last bit (I can actually see him doing that which is just as sad...)  
Bah, my shounen-ai mind has been going insane lately. Two days ago, Cartoon Network decided to restart the series and today is the first ep with Irvine in it!! Oh yeah, can you feel the shounen-ai flying!! *ahem* So yeah, I get to look out for all those delightful V+I moments from the start of the series now...(sad, sad, sad, sad, sa~ad...) I got schtick of the yellow Zaber Fang that Tomy sell and painted mine black and red; looks wicked now!   
General surgeons health warnings for the people who love or hate me:  
To CW: Are far as muses go, I'm convinced they're evil *glares at Moomu* But I am thanking you immensly like for all the good remarks. And thankies heaps to Maelgwyn for thinking I rock...and I won't touch your chocolate stash!! I have my own stash filled with sugary goodness! To Aqua Rhapsody: Blame Moomu!! Kick him if you want! I do it all the time!! (Moomu: She's telling the truth! Muse abuse!!) To Naomi Hunter: Firstly; would you believe it's almost finished even as I type this? Secondly; It's no biggie. Thirdly; IEE!! *sways back at pitch* But thankies for the good comments!! To FM BuuSaix: It's comments like these that get me spinning around on my neato swivel chair screaming and cheering like a teeny-bopper; I thank you immensely for the kudos!! 

Disclaimer: I no own Zoids... If you don't count the five models I got that is... 

Warnings: Absolutely nothing in this chapter that I reckon needs a warning... Shight I'm losing my touch... Well, it does contain shounen-ai so all you homophobes can go jump off the Eiffel Tower or whatever; rid the world of your evil kind!! BEGONE!!! GO!!!

Oh yeah, and the title comes from the Creed song "Lullaby". I am now dedicating this chapter to all you lovely little people out there who ever reviewed-slash-read this story and loved it good-like. Even the flamers; I love you all! Fame or flame me, I don't care; I live for it!! In short, thanks to all who read this story! 

  
  
  
Broken ~ Part fifteen 

Hush My Love, Now Don't You Cry... 

  
  


Reese groaned to herself in complaint as she wrung out the wet cloth in front of her; the excess water running down her hands in thin trails. She stood up and walked across the dim room of the hotel, the only light coming in from the window, stopping at the bed and gazing down at its occupant. Raven lay asleep, despite his numerous injuries, on his side with just his head out from under the covers. Reese rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sat down next to him, brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead as she placed the cloth gently there. She shifted her shoulders around in an attempt to stop the itchy sensation her 'borrowed' grey sweater gave her. 

Raven opened his eyes and groaned softly, drawing a quick breath when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. "Don't try to move; at least, not just yet," Reese told him sternly as he sighed and closed his eyes again. He pressed his lips into a thin line and clenched his eyes tightly. "Where are we?" he breathed. Reese smiled softly at him. "We're at a hotel in the Aran Valley. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to get us here; you should be thanking me." 

Raven frowned against the cloth that was held to his forehead. "I don't care about that…" he growled softly. "What about Van? Is he dead or did that stupid bounty hunter revive his sorry carcass?" Reese scowled at him and narrowed her eyes dangerously at his form as she stood up and went to the window. "What a shame," she said with a wry smile. "He's still alive to torment poor, injured Raven." The grey haired youth said nothing as he sat up with a hiss of breath and scowled death at her. He threw the covers off himself and pushed himself unsteadily to his feet. Reese snapped her gaze around to him. "Where do you think you're going?" she snapped at him. 

"Out," Raven replied simply. "I have a job to finish." He began to walk over to the door when a hand grabbed his shoulder roughly and he gasped, nearly doubling over in pain. "You're not going anywhere Raven," Reese told him sternly as her hand was slapped away; Raven whirling around to glare at her. "Don't touch me! And _don't _tell me what to do Reese!" 

Reese's lips parted in a snarl at Raven's words as she reeled back and punched him hard in the stomach. Raven's eyes flew wide open before he released a strangled gasp and collapsed into Reese's arms. She breathed a sigh of relief as her body relaxed and she scooped up his lifeless form. "So sorry about that Raven, but I had to do something to stop you from leaving when you're not fully healed." 

She walked back to the bed and lay him gently back down over the covers, a smirk on her face as she drew back. The blue haired girl released a soft giggle as she stared at him. "Punching him out when he's not fully healed?" she chuckled. "What a strange way to do things!" she laughed again as a soft growl alerted her ears and she spun around to spy Shadow standing there. 

Reese rolled her eyes at him and placed a hand on her hip. "Take it easy Shadow; he's not too badly hurt," she told the black Organoid. "Your master will be back to terrorise the populace in less than no time. But until that time, however, he needs complete bed rest to heal." The organoid snarled loudly at her and her look softened as she walked over to him and placed a gentle hand on his muzzle. 

"Shadow…" she began quietly. "Raven's had a bad time lately. His plan to kill those three failed miserably and it's going to take a while for his heart to heal. Just…let him be for now; you don't need to protect him this time." Reese smiled softly at the black Organoid. Shadow released a low growl and pulled away from her, walking over to Raven's side and curling up on the floor next to him, still glaring at Reese. The blue haired girl chuckled softly to herself. *Can't change him too easily… He might not want to admit it, but he feels strongly for Raven…* 

"Very well then!" Reese threw her hands up in defeat as she sighed in exasperation. "Guard his dead weight while I go and find his stupid Geno-Breaker! See if I care about whatever it is you do!" she sneered at the Organoid and turned to walk over to the door, grabbing and turning the handle. She paused, something nagging at her as her breathe caught in her throat. "Shadow…" she breathed, barely above a whisper. "Just…just take care of him…" 

Before the Zoid could reply, she'd deftly yanked open the door and bolted outside, slamming it behind her as she headed for her Geno-Saurer. Specular would be waiting there for her; she could always make her feel better. Reese frowned to herself as she ran; why did she care about that stupid idiot anyway? It's not like he ever gave her any praise or looked at her without that cold look in his eyes; she was looking for something in him that would never be there. 

Reese breathed hard as she exited the town, heading for the mountain base that housed the ancient ruins here. Her expression faltered, briefly flickering to one of sadness. "Raven you ass! If you die on me I'll take it upon myself to never bury your stupid carcass!" she cried loudly to the stars. A movement from up ahead caught her eye and she slowed down to a jog as a broad smile crossed her face. 

"Specular! I'm back, love!" she called to the blue Organoid that had stretched out in a nearby tree. Specular arched her back in a cat-like manner as her master stopped at the base of the tree before leaping down next to her. Reese stroked her muzzle affectionately. "Were you sleeping? I'm sorry if I woke you, love…" she smiled and lay her head against Specular's neck. "Did anyone find you or the Geno-Saurer?" she asked worriedly as she pulled back. 

Specular released a low growl and Reese smiled at her, breathing a sigh of relief. "That's good…" she breathed, looking up at the blue Organoid again. "Come along then Specular; we have a Geno-Breaker to find." The Zoid released a soft growl and began to walk away in the direction of the hidden Geno-Saurer. Reese quickly strode up to her Zoid and climbed into it, sealing herself in and starting it up. "Alright then… Let's go to where Raven fought those two; his Geno-Breaker's probably still there." 

With a soft whine of turbines, the Geno-Saurer gently lifted off the ground and shot off towards the north in the black of night with only the stars as its watchers. 

*** 

Irvine groaned as he sat next to Van, occasionally gazing over at his sleeping form. He raised a hand to rub his tired eyes as he sat back with a sigh, relaxing into his chair. He'd managed to barely keep count of the hours he'd spent next to the teen's side without sleep, and he was sure that they'd managed to turn into days from under him. He craned his head up as a nurse came into the room, a worried look on her face. Irvine mentally sighed; it was that same nurse from when he'd brought Van in. 

*God what a mouse…* his mind complained as the girl stopped in front of him. He looked up at her with less than complete interest and she frowned at him. "Mister Irvine, I seriously recommend that you get some sleep. You've done nothing but sit next to Lieutenant Fleihight without a break! You're going to collapse at this rate!" she said shrilly, pressing her lips into a thin line. 

Irvine waved her off and turned to stare at the wall. "I don't need sleep, just get me some coffee please…" he mumbled, obviously tiredly. The nurse growled softly at him as her shoulders visibly sagged; her hand clenching around the clipboard she carried. "But sir, you-" Irvine snapped his glare back around to meet her eyes, icy venom stirring in their depths as he grabbed the front of her uniform and pulled her down, her face halting within centimetres of his. 

"Listen you lowly form of human creature, I've been sitting here for the past eighty-four hours watching my best friend slowly dieing and I'm _not _going to bat an eyelid until he wakes up!! So when I say to get me some effing coffee, I mean _get me some effing coffee_, you understand!? _I'll _be the one to decide whether I need some fucking sleep or not, you got that!? Now just wrack off get me some coffee!!" he snarled loudly and shoved her back, uncaring about his current state as he continued to glare at her in complete detestation. 

The girl stared at him in complete shock before her shaky hands managed to drop her clipboard and she released a startled cry at the action. She hastily picked it up and backed off to the door, shaking like a leaf. "Y-yes sir! R-right away s-sir!" she stammered and quickly shot from the room. Irvine held his glare for a second longer before he sighed and relaxed his tense form; since when did he explode like that? 

The bounty hunter shook his head and closed his eyes, a hand falling to cover them as he slumped down in his seat. Who was he kidding? He definitely needed sleep; not just another caffeine fix, as his body was hastily reminding him. Irvine dropped his hand and cast his eyes back to the sleeping teen. *But I have to…I just have to stay awake…* 

Barely two minutes later, Irvine's head had slumped forward and he was snoring softly. His hand rested casually over Van's as the two of them slept soundly in the quiet room. Well, it would have been perfectly quiet if a certain transporter of the wasteland hadn't of walked in with Thomas and Fiona in tow. The two girls smiled at the cute little scene they were presented with as they walked inside while Thomas just shook his head with a soft sigh. *The idiot's going to kill himself from over exhaustion; no wonder he's already out…* 

Moonbei walked quietly over to Irvine and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Irvine…" she whispered softly. "Hey Irvine, wake up…" She got a low groan for a reply as his eyelids fluttered open and he tilted his head back to stare at her. "Moonbei?" he asked dumbly, still half asleep. He chucked softly and shook his head. "Every time you've come in here, it's been to wake me up… I should bow down to the higher powers and just stay awake…" 

She grinned at him as he pulled himself up and rubbed his tired eyes. "I was only asleep for a few minutes too…" he stifled a yawn as she presented him with something. He met her gaze with a questioning look and she raised an eyebrow at him. "From the nurse. She told me to give it to you since she vowed never to come back in this room again," she smiled broadly at Irvine as he took the paper cup, cocking her head to the side. "Now why would that be I wonder?" she said sarcastically. 

Irvine gave a contented sigh as he took a long sip from his cup, chuckling at Moonbei's statement. "I don't know… Van scared her off perhaps?" he said with a smirk. Moonbei folded her arms and levelled her gaze at him, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Irvine, you really need to take a break. You're pushing yourself too hard as it is!" she told him. He waved her off and downed about half the cup. Moonbei rolled her eyes as Fiona stepped forward. 

"Irvine, we're all very worried about you and Moonbei's right; you're going to overdo it soon. Van's going to be just fine on his own for a while and you really _do _need some sleep," she reasoned with him. Irvine sighed as she shook her head; Thomas stepping forward for his turn to round on him. "Miss Fiona is also right. Van's strong enough to pull through this, Irvine; you don't have to guard him twenty-four seven you know. And besides, from the look on that nurse's face, I think you _really _need to get some sleep." Thomas folded his arms across his chest as he nodded at Irvine. 

The bounty hunter looked between the three of them before he sighed and stood up. "Fine, fine… I can tell when I'm being given a subtle hint," he shook his head as a smirk played on his lips. "You guys had this all planned out against me didn't you?" Moonbei placed a hand to her chest. "Us? Plan something against you? Come now Irvine! Why would we do a silly little thing like that?" she grinned at him and he just smiled back at her. "Because you're a pain in the ass…" he mumbled and ruffled her hair. 

Moonbei slapped his hand away and yelled loudly at him, causing Fiona and Thomas to laugh at them as Moonbei's plot backfired. She growled at Irvine and folded her arms across her chest. "You are _so _going to cop it later buster!" she snapped at him. Fiona giggled at her and placed a hand on her arm. "Now Moonbei, there's no need to get so indignant; even if it _is _Irvine tormenting you," she said sweetly, a soft smile coming to her face. "Come on, you seem a little tense." 

Moonbei smiled back at her as an arm was wound around her waist and the two left; Moonbei winking over her shoulder at Irvine. Irvine's eyes shot wide in surprise and his hand clenched around his coffee, almost spilling it everywhere. "EH?? What the hell!? It's _her_!?" he cried not so gently. Thomas jumped and spun around to stare at him in shock. "What're you talking about?" he asked quietly, a little freaked out by Irvine. The bounty hunter gave a shaky sigh and downed the rest of his coffee. "Let's just go retrieve those two and find out exactly what, shall we?" he said and crushed the empty cup in his hand. 

Thomas had the blankest of blank looks on his face as he followed Irvine out, catching up to the two girls quickly. "Sa-ay Moonbei…" Irvine said as he sidled up next to her. The girl jumped at the sudden intrusion as they stopped. "Irvine you ass! Don't scare people like that!" He merely smiled at her and waved her off as she noticed the mischievous glint in his eye. "You're up to something. What do you want?" she asked, frowning at him. He grinned at her. "Oh how did it go again?" he began, clearing his throat audibly. "At least I can remember past ten seconds where _my _other-" 

"Can it Irvine!" Moonbei snapped loudly as a blush came to her face. "Shit, maybe coffee was a bad idea for you!" Fiona laughed at the both of them. "Oh _that _conversation! I heard all about that one Irvine!" she smiled at him. "But you look really tired Irvine. You should go and have a good long sleep right about now." Irvine chuckled and walked ahead of them. "I guess so. Well good night or whatever…" he said and began to walk off. 

"Oh and Irvine," Moonbei's voice stopped him and he turned back to face her. "He'll be back with you in no time; don't worry about it…" she smiled warmly at him. Irvine's eyes lit up and he nodded at her, a smile creeping across his face. "I know he will…" he replied and disappeared around the corner. Thomas raised an eyebrow and blinked, his gaze switching between where the bounty hunter had stood and the two girls. "Uh…what was all that about?" he asked dumbly. Moonbei sighed and dropped a hand to Thomas' shoulder. 

"Thomas, lemme tell you something about Van and Irvine…" she began, steering the blonde lieutenant away. 

*** 

Irvine gave a soft sigh as he shut his door behind him, leaning against it in utter exhaustion. He groaned and pushed himself away from the door, turning his head when he heard a high shriek from outside. He grinned to himself; those two, by the sound of it, had just told Thomas of the current situation. Rubbing his tired eyes, he stepped over to his bed and practically fell onto it, not bothering with his clothing. 

With a low groan, he fumbled around and eventually managed to pull his bandana and eyepiece off, dropping them somewhere onto the floor. He yawned and closed his eyes; sleep starting to claim him. "Van…" he breathed as he finally succumbed to the pull of never-never land as he clutched his pillow tightly. 

*** 

Irvine snapped his eyes open; the pounding on his door had effectively woken him up. He sat bolt up and glanced at his watch – ten in the morning. *Shit! I slept for nineteen hours!* he thought with wide eyes as he placed his bandana and eyepiece back on his head. He growled at the door, whoever it was hasn't stopped pounding on it. "Hold yer horses! I'm up for god's sake!!" he yelled and flung the door open. His expression dissolved into one of surprise when he saw Moonbei standing there, an anxious look on her face. 

"What's going on Moonbei?" he asked softly, his heart twinging for some strange reason. She shook her head and grabbed onto his arms. "It's- It's Van!" she said loudly. Irvine's eyes snapped wide open and he was instantly awake as he felt his heart clench almost painfully. "What…?" he breathed, barely above a whisper. "Moonbei, what's wrong with him?" he said loudly. Moonbei shook her head. "I don't know! He just…! He was asleep and then…then he…" she shook her head vehemently. "Just go already!!" she cried finally. 

Irvine took in a deep breath and he was gone before he could hear another word. His feet carried him as fast as he could to the infirmary, sprinting almost the entire way. His heart was pounding in his chest as he came to a stop outside his door; almost skidding past it he was moving so fast. Irvine threw the door back and ran inside. "Van!!" he cried. He froze; just dead froze. Van wasn't there. The room was empty. 

There was absolutely no sign of anyone anywhere. No beeping of the heart monitor; no constant drip from the intravenous; just…nothing. Nothing except the bed and the rest of the furniture. Irvine was still breathing hard from his fast trip, but his breaths were becoming more and more shaky with each intake of air. He suddenly took a hitching breath and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. "Van…" he breathed, voice breaking with emotion as he sank to his knees. "Oh god…no…" he closed his eyes as tears welled in his eyes, spilling over his cheeks. 

"Yeah Irvine?" 

The bounty hunter felt his body run cold and freeze instantly. There was a soft click of the door being shut behind him and he slowly turned around, breathing in short gasps still. His breath lodged in his throat as he saw the person that had closed the door, their hand still pressed to the cool metal and a playful smirk on their face. 

"Took you long enough, I was beginning to think you could sleep through anything…" Van whispered and cocked his head to the side. "Oh and by the way, you really shouldn't yell at the nurses like that; they're such god-damned mouses you could scar them for life!" 

Irvine's heart was pounding in his chest as he stood up again, tears still streaming down his face. "Van…" he breathed again, staring at the healthy figure in front of him dressed in his uniform. "You're…okay…" Van snorted and placed his hand on his hip. "Duh, I'm standing here!" he chuckled softly. Irvine's expression changed to one of pure anger as he stormed up to the youth and pointed his finger at him. 

"You son of a bitch Van! You put Moonbei up to this didn't you!?" he cried, his face within centimetres of Van's. "I oughta kick your-" he was cut off as Van's hands cupped his face and brought him down for a breath-stealing kiss that lasted for a long moment. Irvine pulled back gently. "…ass," he finally finished. Van chuckled and smiled warmly up at him. "Now who's the tease…" 

Irvine smiled warmly at him as he felt the soft pads of Van's thumbs wiping away his tears. "You still are and you know it, Van Fleihight…" he whispered, voice catching in his throat. Van ran his hands to the back of Irvine's neck, rubbing it softly. "Hey, come on…come here…" he whispered as he pulled him close into a warm embrace, feeling as the other's arms wrapped tightly around him. "God Van…don't _ever _do anything like that again!" Irvine breathed, his cheek buried in Van's onyx hair. "I thought I'd lost you today…" 

Van rubbed his back soothingly and closed his eyes as he lay his head against his chest. "I'm sorry…but it was all Moonbei's idea; she was the one who-" he was cut off as the door suddenly opened and a head poked around the corner. Moonbei grinned at them as she stepped inside with Fiona, Thomas, Doctor Dee and Zeek. 

"Uh…surprise Irvine!" she said sheepishly. Irvine gave a restrained sigh as he slowly let go of Van. Turning to him and smiling, he placed a quick kiss to his lips and said, "Be right back, gotta go kill Moonbei…" and pulled away from him, turning his attentions on the girl. 

Moonbei let out a small 'eep' and quickly shot from the room. "It was a joke you psycho!" she called behind her. Irvine growled audibly and bolted after her. "I don't care! You're still gonna die Moonbei!!" he cried as he ran after her. Van shook his head with a smile as he turned to the others; his expression faltering as they all stared wide-eyed at him. 

"What?" he asked, completely drawing a blank. Doctor Dee coughed to break the silence. "Well now…that was something new…" he said simply. Van felt his cheeks brighten and he gave a weak laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well we were kinda meaning to tell you guys about it for a while now and with everything that's been going on with the whole me and Raven incident we sorta got sidetracked and…well…" he laughed off the rest of it. 

There was a loud thud and the others turned to blink at where Thomas had been standing. Doctor Dee absolutely dissolved in laughter as he pointed at his passed out form on the ground. Fiona giggled as Zeek leant over him and licked his face, causing him to stir with a groan. Van suppressed a laugh with the back of his hand and waved at him when the blonde stared up at him. Thomas promptly fainted again. 

Van laughed and Zeek turned to him with a soft growl; the black haired teen nodding at him. "Yeah, maybe we should just let him sleep for a while," he laughed as the silver Organoid walked over to him and licked his face happily. "Yeah, I missed you too Zeek! C'mere you!" he chuckled and hugged him fiercely. Van broke off from his Zoid and stared back at the other two. 

"Welcome back Van," Fiona said with a smile. "We all missed you." She and Doctor Dee stepped over to him and hugged the teen tightly. "I missed you guys too," he said with a large smile. "I thought I'd never see you again!" He was deftly whacked on the head and he turned to glare at Doctor Dee. "You ninny! You scared us all to death with that stupid stunt!" Van narrowed his eyes at him as the hug was suddenly broken. "Stupid stunt!? It wasn't my idea to get kidnapped by Raven!!" The old man growled at him. "You should've kicked his ass!" Van's eyes went wide, incredulous. "I was unconscious!!" he shot back. 

Fiona laughed at them both as they continued to argue, quietly slipping from the room. She stopped outside the room, surprise covering her face as she saw Moonbei getting dragged back in a headlock by Irvine. "You're sorry, you say?" Irvine said in a completely unbelieving tone. "Won't ever do anything like that again?" 

Moonbei tried in vain to pull his strong arms away. "Yes, alright! I won't ever do anything like that again!" she snapped. "Now let me go you great dolt!!" Irvine grinned and ruffled her hair everywhere. "What if I don't wanna!?" he laughed as she cried out. "Off!! Now Irvine!!" she cried as she began to claw at his arms. "Nope! You're gonna be sorry you ever did that Moonbei!" Fiona giggled as Irvine stopped in front of her, smiling down at her. "Hiya Fiona, how're you doing?" he asked, completely ignoring Moonbei's shrill protests. 

She smirked at Irvine and shrugged. "I'm fine, but if you don't let go of Moonbei, she's going to bite through your arm in a second," she pointed out. Irvine looked down at the female transporter and let her go suddenly. "Oh I'm _sorry _Moonbei! Was I still _holding _you?" he asked in a loud voice. She snarled at him and raised a fist to his face. "Watch it buster!" Fiona giggled at them. "You know Irvine…that was some…scene…back there," she said somewhat awkwardly. 

Irvine smiled at her. "I just wanted to find out what would happen to Thomas…" he explained with a shrug. "How is he anyway?" Fiona laughed and jabbed a thumb into the room again. "Take a look for yourself; I think he should be waking up any moment now." Irvine blinked at her. "Waking… You mean he _fainted_?" Irvine asked, raising an eyebrow as he stepped inside the room. 

Sure enough, Thomas was still lying on the ground with Zeek and Doctor Dee fanning his face, attempting to wake him up again. Van smiled at the bounty hunter as he entered and stopped next to him. "How is he?" Irvine asked, incredulous. Van shrugged. "Fine. Though it could be worse," he replied, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "He could be awake right now and telling us off." Van paused for a moment before he leaned in close and held a hand up to his ear, whispering something to him. Irvine's eyes went wide with mild shock and he turned to stare at Van, a smile creeping over his face. Van smiled invitingly at him, one eyebrow rising in suggestion. 

Without further warning, Irvine grabbed Van's hand and practically dragged him from the room; Doctor Dee turning to stare after them, one eyebrow raising in question. "Now I don't even _want _to know where those two are going…" he mumbled. He turned back to Thomas, shaking his head softly as a smile came to his face. "I guess he's finally growing up after all…" he stood up with a sigh and rubbed his back. "Course it could be just me getting soft…or old…" He kicked Thomas as the blonde started to groan. "Get up already! My back is killing me because of you!" The younger Schubaltz opened his eyes and sat up groggily, rubbing his head. 

"What happened?" he moaned as he got to his feet. Doctor Dee sighed in exasperation. "You fainted; what else?" Thomas blinked at him in wonder. "Why'd I do that?" he asked in confusion. The old man smirked playfully at him. "Because Irvine and Van kissed each other right in front of you…" Thomas' eyes went wide in surprise and he blinked at him for a moment. "They- You mean-" he never finished as a groan escaped his lips and he slumped to the ground again, out cold. 

Doctor Dee just slapped his forehead and muttered a curse under his breath. "Fiona! Moonbei! In here now!!" he barked, hand still over his eyes. The two hurried in quickly, nearly stepping on Thomas. "What's up Doctor Dee?" Moonbei asked. The old man pointed to Thomas. "Next time, _don't _leave this guy out of the loop for too long! He's going to end up with severe damage to his head if he keeps fainting like this!" he snapped. 

Fiona giggled at him before she stopped, staring at the old man with her brow furrowed. "Where did Van and Irvine go? We saw them take off just before." Doctor Dee shook his head and shrugged, a smile coming to his face. "Who knows? I certainly don't want to; judging from the look I saw on Van's face." 

Moonbei's eyes lit up and a smile covered her face. "I certainly _do_! Let's go find them and-" she was cut off as Fiona clamped a hand over her mouth and laughed sheepishly. "Moonbei; no we _don't _want to know! Let them be alright?" she told her simply. "Will you promise not to run off and find them if I let you go?" A nod. "You _promise_?" A frown covered the transporter's face and she nodded again. "You're not going to run off and tape it or anything?" Moonbei just rolled her eyes at that statement. Fiona sighed and dropped her hand as Moonbei sprouted a wicked grin. "Course that doesn't mean I won't do it later…" she said with a soft chuckle. 

*** 

Van shut the door behind him and locked it deftly, turning around in the darkness and leaning back against the cold metal, his hands tucked behind him and a wicked smile on his face. It only lasted a second as he was pressed hard against the door and warm hands ran into his hair as a firm kiss was placed on his lips. Hands ran up sides to massage firm muscles and sensitive spots were mercilessly tortured, soft moans piercing the still air. Both were breathless by the time they separated, panting hard in the darkness as fingers pressed onto skin, giving off much needed warmth. 

"Van…" Irvine breathed. "God Van…" He was stopped from further speech as soft lips claimed his again for an unhurried, merely loving kiss. The black haired youth pulled back as his forehead rested on Irvine's, his hand placed gently onto his cheek. "Don't talk; just do…" he whispered huskily as he unfastened the buckle on Irvine's overalls, the strap slipping off his shoulder. 

Irvine, quite deliberately, placed both his hands on Van's so the youth could stare into his eyes, a soft expression that Van couldn't read being played there. "Van…" he whispered. "Promise me something," he said softly. Van's expression faded as a hurt look crossed his features. "Irvine…" he breathed. Irvine raised his eyebrows at him. "Promise me that you'll survive this war, Van," he asked, voice etched with emotion. The black haired youth faltered, shock covering his face as he raised his hands slowly to cover the bounty hunter's. "Irvine…I would never die…I _could _never die as long…" he swallowed hard against the lump that had formed in his throat. 

"I won't…I can't; not while I have you to live for…" Van admitted softly, his eyes welling with unshed tears. Irvine's expression faded to one of pure pain and he shook his head softly, staring into Van's ebony eyes. "But Van, our enemies don't care about that!" he breathed with a sad smile. "Raven doesn't care about it; Reese doesn't; Hiltz doesn't… None of them care about the pain that either of us could go through if we lose each other… Only we can…" he smiled warmly at Van with tears in his eyes. "Now promise me…just as you… Not for me…just you…" 

Van smiled warmly up at him, a single silvery tear slipping down his cheek only to be caught by Irvine's palm. "I promise… No stupid mistakes or anything… I'll survive this war…" he took in a sudden breath and swallowed again. Irvine drew him into a tight embrace. "Come here Van, come on…" he said softly as he held the youth, tears trailing down his cheeks also. "Shh…it's okay Van, it's okay… I'm right here for you…" 

Van felt as hot tears trailed down his cheeks and seeped into Irvine's overalls. He took in a shaky breath and pulled back to stare at him with a wicked grin, reaching up to pull off his bandana and eyepiece, throwing them on the floor. "What are you doing?" Irvine asked, somewhat alarmed. 

"Taking advantage of the moment," came the instant reply as Van pressed his lips to Irvine's. 

  
~END~ 

  
  
  
Chan: *glaring at Moomu* I oughta fire you...  
Moomu: What!? Why!? (please, please, please, PLEASE let her fire me...)  
Chan: Coz you made me write slow and upset a lot of people!  
Van: *from background* Damn right!  
Chan: *grabs Irvine* You see this Moomu? This is the broken shell of a man! See what you put him through!?  
Irvine: *whispering* Just nod your head, smile and say yes at random intervals; she's intesely pissed right now!  
Moomu: *sweatdrops* Ri~ight...  
Chan: *whacks Irvine on the butt* All done! Good work Irvine!  
Irvine: Watch it! That's my butt!!  
Chan: Ohoho!! I beg to differ!!  
Van: *runs up* Hey that looks like fun! *whacks Irvine's butt also*  
Irvine: Whoa! Down boy!  
Chan: *sweatdrop* I've created a monster... Moomu, this is all your fault...  
Moomu: What!? My fault!?  
Chan: *sighs* Yeah! Look at these two deprived sexy bishounen! They would have jumped each other sooner if it weren't for you!  
Moomu: *staring at the two* Maybe we should get them a room...  
Chan: Nonsense! This is good watchin, ain't that right Moonbei?  
Moonbei: *plonks onto couch with Chan and popcorn to watch the show* Damn right it is!!  
Moomu: *sighs and walks off shaking head* My daddy wanted me to be a doctor but no~oo...had to persue my frickin dream of being a muse... *sigh* I need a hug... 


End file.
